2023 Reading Challenge Crossover Books

CHALLENGES
Decade - 1960s - 2000s
*Read Around the USA - Pilsen Neighborhood of Chicago, ILLINOIS

by Ann Napolitano

Charlie greets the women in his family, including his wife and four daughters, by saying “Hello, Beautiful” and truly sees something special in each of them. Unfortunately, Charlie is resented by his wife, Rose, because he’s an alcoholic, which also impacts his ability to provide for the family.

Their oldest daughter, Julie, is smart and ambitious. When she meets William, whose family couldn’t be more different than her own, he’s in Chicago for a college basketball scholarship. For William, the sport has been his saving grace and a substitute for the love of family. At least until he meets Julie and her family embraces him in their family unit when they become a couple. Once that happens, the family refuses to give up on him.

The Book Girls Say... Hello Beautiful also follows the characters for nearly four decades. The book begins in the main character’s childhood, in the 1960s, and spans into their middle age years. This slow-paced character-driven family drama from the author of Dead Edward pays homage to Little Women, including references to the classic.

Heads Up: Themes in this book include depression and suicide.

CHALLENGES
*Decade - 1950s-Present
Read Around the USA - Detroit, MICHIGAN

by Jennifer Weiner

Growing up in a picture-perfect house in Detroit in the 1950s, Jo and Bethie are Jewish sisters who each have a clearly defined role in their family.

Jo is the bookish tomboy with a strong sense of fairness, and Bethie is the good girl who enjoys the power that comes from her beauty.

The sisters come of age in the 1960s against the backdrop of free love, Vietnam, Woodstock, and feminism.

Good-girl Bethie becomes a wild child who is drawn to all things counterculture. On the other hand, Jo follows the expected path and becomes a young wife living in Connecticut - no part of which is true to herself.

Through the decades, neither woman has been leading the life she really wants. Jo sees the world changing, but she’s a witness rather than a participant. Bethie endures many traumas and struggles with how the world sees her versus how she sees herself.

It will take many more years for both sisters to become their true selves finally, and even longer for them to find their way back to one another.

The Book Girls Say... Jo and Bethie are the author's take on Little Woman's sisters, Jo and Beth, and the character of Jo is also based loosely on the author’s mother.

As the title implies, this book has a little of everything, from the fashion and design trends of the times to the most significant topics in American society, including race, religion, politics, and more.

This novel also examines much more personal issues like the loss of a parent, sexual orientation, and body image. Because it covers so much ground, some readers will love joining Jo and Bethie’s world, while others may feel like the 460-page book gets too detailed and goes on a bit too long in parts.

Heads Up: This book includes some scenes of molestation and consensual sex.

CHALLENGES
Decade - 1930s-1980s
*Read Around the USA - Rural INDIANA

by Laird Hunt

In under 200 pages, author Laird Hunt covers the entire life of the main character Zorrie. It begins with Zorrie in a modest home before the death of her parents. After being orphaned a second time when her aunt passes away, Zorrie drifts through Depression-era Indiana. She even spends a short time as a radium watch painter.

Eventually, she finds home in the community of Hillisburg. As Zorrie ages, you’ll see many events of the 20th century through the eyes of a woman in a small midwestern town.

The Book Girls Say… The style of this National Book Award finalist is very poetic with beautiful prose. It’s slow-moving, emphasizing the characters and writing, which means you won’t get much action or a quick plot. But if you love quiet books that meander through a character’s normal life through the years, we think you’ll enjoy it.

CHALLENGES
*Decade - 1960s-2000s
Read Around the USA - INDIANA

by Edward Kelsey Moore

Three friends – dubbed “The Supremes” by pals – have been meeting at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat diner in Plainview, Indiana since their high school days in the tumultuous 1960s.

For more than four decades, they’ve been by each other’s side through life’s ups and downs and the book follows their evolving friendships over the years. Now, Clarice struggles to keep up appearances as she deals with her husband’s humiliating infidelities. Barbara Jean is rocked by the tragic reverberations of a youthful love affair. And fearless Odette is about to embark on the most terrifying battle of her life.

The Book Girls Say... This book has been described as The Help meets Fried Green Tomatoes with a dash of Steel Magnolias.

CHALLENGES
Decade - 1960s-2000s
*Read Around the USA - Suburban MINNESOTA

by Lorna Landvik

This novel follows the friendship of five women from the 1960s through the 21st century. They began as neighbors, then formed a book club, but over time it becomes a lifeline for each of them as they see each other through all the seasons of life. From the stay-at-home motherhood days to new careers, second chances, grandchildren, and all that life throws at them. Laughter is the glue that holds them together, even when they are mending broken hearts or shattered dreams.

The Book Girls Say… Don’t let the fluffy title of this book fool you… it’s so much more than that!

Book lovers will especially enjoy that each chapter is headed by the title of the book they read, why it was chosen, and by whom.

CHALLENGES
Decade - 1862-2002
*Read Around the USA - Mankato, MINNESOTA

by Diane Wilson

Long before spring meant placing orders for seeds through gardening catalogs, the Dakhótas relied on their strong seed-saving traditions for survival. While this book will teach you about that seed-saving heritage, it also covers so much more.

Rosalie Iron Wing grew up learning about plants and her ancestry as a Dakhóta from her father. However, she is sent to live with a foster family when he goes missing. Decades later, Rosalie is now both a mother and the widow of a farmer. She still takes solace in their land, although it has been threatened by both nature and man.

When Rosalie returns to her birthplace to search out more of her family history, she learns about the trauma of boarding schools, the war between the Dakhótas and the government, and the cache of seeds that survived through generations.

The Book Girls Say... Diane Wilson is a Dakota writer who uses personal experience to illustrate broader social and historical context. Another acclaimed Native American author is Louise Erdrich, an enrolled member of the Anishinaabe Nation. Her 2021 novel, The Sentence, is set in Minneapolis, Minnesota during the one-year period between All Souls’ Day 2019 to All Souls’ Day 2020.

The Seed Keeper is included free with an Audible Membership as of 11/16/23.

CHALLENGES
Decade - 1920-2020
*Book Voyage - CHILE

by Isabel Allende

This book is told in the form of a letter written by 100-year-old Violeta as she reflects back on her life and the tragedies she overcame. Violeta was born in 1920, as the world was trying to recover from World War I, and just as the Spanish Flu began to take hold in South America. But that won’t be the only pandemic she encounters during her long life.

From the Great Depression to the fight for women’s rights and from drug cartels to lovers, this fictional but raw book looks into all aspects of Violeta’s lifetime.

The Book Girls Say... Isabel Allende Llona is a Chilean-American novelist. Allende, who writes in the “magic realism” tradition, is considered one of Latin America’s first successful women novelists. According to PBS, as of 2022, Allende is the world’s most widely-read living Spanish-language author.

While many around the world love her writing, it’s definitely literary, descriptive, and can be a bit slower-paced with deep themes.

CHALLENGES
Decade - 1940s-1960s
*Book Voyage - Rio de Janeiro, BRAZIL

by Martha Batalha

It’s the 1940s, and Euridice has a typical life of a woman from that era. She is expected to be an obedient and traditional housewife. While passionate about cooking and sewing, her dreams go far beyond caring for her family. She starts several secret projects, like making recipe books, as she tries to make a business for herself. However, her husband forbids her from using her talents. On top of that, a gossipy neighbor is spreading rumors about Euridice.

Her sister, Guida, also has challenges despite escaping her family’s expectations and eloping with a medical student years earlier. Suffering and pain eventually cause her to return home with her young son. Euridice takes them in, and together, the sisters learn to be independent and make the most of their lives.

The Book Girls Say... Readers say this book is full of eccentric characters and even a touch of magical realism in line with regional tradition. Much of the book is focused on Euridice’s inner thoughts and world as she struggles to find herself as a progressive woman in a patriarchal home.

Author Martha Batalha was born and raised in Brazil, where she worked as a journalist and publisher for many years before moving to New York in 2008. She now lives in Santa Monica, California, where she is working on her second novel, which will be set in Ipanema, Brazil.

CHALLENGES
Decade - 1916 and 1983
*Read Around the USA - WISCONSIN

by Karen McQuestion

When Joe begins having troubling dreams of himself as a different man in another place and time, everything in his life is turned upside down. But it’s not until he visits his grandmother, Pearl, in her small Wisconsin hometown that he discovers a startling connection. Joe is drawn into his family’s past when he learns about the secret weighing on the old woman’s soul – the 1916 tragic death of her sister Alice a half-century ago. This death had ripple effects on all who loved her.

This book is available with Kindle Unlimited as of 11/16/2023.

CHALLENGES
Decade - 1941 and 2005
*Read Around the USA - Pulaski, WISCONSIN and Alabama

by Fannie Flagg

In 1941 Wisconsin, Fritzi and her sister are forced to find work when the men are sent off to war. They become experts at everything from fixing flats to driving the tow truck. They put their own spin on these tasks, including short skirts and roller skates. Before long, however, women were also needed to fly planes for the war effort.

In 2005, Alabama, Sookie’s last daughter has just married, and now Sookie is looking forward to relaxation. Her plans are turned upside down when a package arrives that sends her right back to the 1940s in her memories.

The Book Girls Say… While only half of this story is set in Wisconsin, we love learning more about what life was like stateside during WWII. And we’re especially eager to learn about the Women’s Air Force Service Pilots (WASP).

CHALLENGES
*Decade - 2010s
Read Around the USA - VIRGINIA
Book Voyage - NORTH AMERICA

by S.A. Cosby

Randolph and Buddy Lee are both ex-cons, but have very different lives. Randolph left his past behind and started a successful lawn care business. He has a loving wife and owns a lovely small home. Buddy Lee is a barely functioning alcoholic living in a run-down trailer.

Besides both being ex-cons, the only thing they have in common is that their sons married each other, and both dads handled that poorly.

When both sons are brutally murdered, the men meet because of their shared goal – finding out what really happened to their boys.

The Book Girls Say... Every chapter is easy to visualize in detail, but you won’t just see the characters. You’ll experience their emotions throughout the compelling story. Amid the page-turning tale, there are also great reminders about life and the importance of choosing to love your family while you can.

WARNING: If you’re sensitive to violence or lots of rough language, consider skipping this one. The downside of being able to picture every scene is that the descriptive writing includes the violent scenes.

CHALLENGES
*Read Around the USA - MARYLAND
Decades - Spans decades through 2010s
Book Voyage - NORTH AMERICA

by Anne Tyler

This slice-of-life story opens in 1959 when the Garrett family from Baltimore takes their first and last family vacation. Mercy is more passionate about painting than being a good housewife, their teen daughters can’t see eye to eye on anything, and their son (the youngest of their kids) is already planning ways to escape his family’s orbit.

French Braid follows this quirky family across the decades up to and through the pandemic. Over the years, we see their lives progress from several different characters’ points of view. Through this beautifully written novel, Tyler uses the Garrett family to examine the nature of time and memory. She illustrates how cultural expectations of women have progressed over the years, and she explores the consequences of both actions and inactions. You won’t always like all of the characters in this novel, but they are so well drawn that you’ll understand them even when you disagree with their choices.

The Book Girls Say... It seems that either you’re a fan of Anne Tyler’s character-driven writing style, or you’re not, and there doesn’t seem to be much gray area in between.

If this will be your first time picking up one of her books, consider this quote that she gave to People Magazine to gauge if it’s for you: “If you love a good war story, you won’t be remotely interested in my books. Nothing is going on in them except time passing, and people being who they are.” If that description doesn’t appeal to you, or you’re in the mood for a plot-driven novel that will keep you turning pages to find out what happens next, we’d recommend skipping this one for now.

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - NORTH AMERICA (Mexico)
Read Around the USA - MARYLAND
Decades - 2000s

by Laura Resau

Clara is a modern teenager growing up in Baltimore. She has never met her father’s parents and doesn’t know much about his past other than the fact that he snuck over the US border as a teenager. One day, she receives a letter from her grandparents inviting her to spend the summer with them in their small village of Yucuyoo in southern Mexico.

After her initial culture shock, Clara begins to see the beauty in a simpler life, and as she learns about her father’s past, she also embarks on her own journey of self-discovery.

The Book Girls Say... While this is a middle grade fiction book, we think it’s an excellent choice if you’re looking for a quick but moving read that will truly transport you to rural Mexico. The landscape and food descriptions will make you long to visit the Oaxaca region.

CHALLENGES
*Read Around the USA - WASHINGTON D.C.
Decades - 2010s
Book Voyage - NORTH AMERICA

by Casey McQuiston

Alex is the early 20-something son of the first female US President, and Prince Henry is the 2nd in line to the British Throne. Alex considers Henry his nemesis, and the two get into an embarrassing scuffle during a royal wedding.

In order to calm the press and convince them the sons of the US and England aren’t foes, Alex and Henry agree to make public appearances as friends over the course of several months. After spending more time together, and exchanging many amusing text messages, Alex realizes there is much more to Henry than he assumed.

CHALLENGES
*Decade - 2000s
*Book Voyage - NORTH AMERICA

by Jim DeFede

While this book takes place on September 11, 2001 and the following days, it’s not the constantly devastating story you would expect. Instead, this heartwarming book recounts the experiences of countless passengers from some of the 38 planes that were unexpectedly diverted to Newfoundland – an island in Canada’s easternmost province – when US airspace was closed on 9/11. On that day, the small town of Gander, with a population of just 10,000, received more than 6,600 passengers from 92 countries. Ganderites, along with residents of the surrounding towns, opened the doors to the local churches, schools, and even their own homes.

Throughout this book, you’ll not only learn the personal stories of the passengers, but you’ll also learn a lot about life on this tiny, remote island and about the unexpected hosts who welcomed strangers from around the world with open arms and generous hearts.

The Book Girls Say... We’ve both seen and loved the musical Come From Away, so we already knew some of the story, but we learned so much more from this book. The selflessness of the residents of Gander and the surrounding towns will warm your heart page after page. It is one of the most uplifting, faith-in-humanity-restoring books we’ve ever read. The audiobook, narrated by Ray Porter, is especially well done.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - NORTH AMERICA (B.C., Canada)
Decades - spans decades, inclduing 2000s

by Michael Christie

Greenwood is a multi-generational saga following one family from 1934-2038. However, the book works backward, first introducing you to Jake, an eco-tour guide in one of the world’s last remaining forests in 2038.

Then you’ll meet Liam, a carpenter in 2008, followed by Willow in 1974 as she attempts to make up for the sins of her father and his timber empire. Finally, you’ll be all the way back to 1934, when Everett Greenwood spent his days alone with the trees and their maple syrup. One day, he hears the cries of an abandoned baby in the forest. His life and the life of the following generations are forever changed.

Timber and the environment tie the family together through changing generations.

The Book Girls Say... This is a longer book at 528 pages, but reviewers say you’ll be so engrossed in the world of the Greenwoods that you won’t even notice.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - NORTH AMERICA (Mexico)
Decades - 2000s

by Jennifer Clement

In the mountains of Guerrero, Mexico, women are often on their own as the men leave looking for other work. However, the setting is also surrounded by the drug war, which is even more dangerous than the terrain and abundant poisonous creatures. As a result, resourceful mothers learn to hide the beauty of their daughters as a form of protection – disguising them as boys or making them unattractive in other ways. 

Ladydi is one of these daughters, and you’ll quickly fall in love with her fierce intelligence and willingness to make the best of the circumstances in which she was born. When she’s offered a chance to leave Guerrero to become a nanny for a wealthy American family in Acapulco, she jumps at the opportunity to make a better and safer life for herself. However, the cartel still looms and impacts her life in unexpected ways. 

The Book Girls Say... Our readers say that this book is better read than listened to because the narration is a bit distracting. The 2021 film adaptation of this book was short-listed for the Academy Awards and is available for streaming on Netflix.

Author Jennifer Clement was born and raised in Mexico City. She received her undergraduate degrees at NYU and an MFA from the University of Southern Maine. From 2009 to 2012, Clement was president of PEN Mexico, and her work focused on the disappearance and killing of journalists. She now serves as the first female president of PEN International.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - NORTH AMERICA (Mexico)
Decades - 2000s

by Jeanine Cummins

Lydia has a comfortable life in Acapulco as the wife of a journalist and the mother of an 8-year-old little boy. However, when her husband publishes a story about the newest drug lord bringing trouble to town, they become targets of a cartel. After hiding while many family members are massacred, they have to get out of the country for any hope for safety.

Lydia and Luca begin a harrowing journey to the US that will leave you on the edge of your seat. You’ll feel their fear along the way, making the book both suspenseful and heartbreaking as they make the journey of their lives.

The Book Girls Say... When this book was published, it came with understandable criticism because it was not written by an OWN voices author. The author received significantly more money and publicity than books written by authors with Mexican heritage and first-hand experience of the journey.

Much of the criticism was aimed at the publishing industry versus the author’s writing, and the story has deeply impacted many readers. Readers often say their eyes were opened to aspects of immigration they hadn’t previously considered and increased their empathy, so we are including it.

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - NORTH AMERICA (Belize)
Decades - Late 2010s

by Diana Marcum

What began as a terrible vacation for Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Diana Marcum turned into a quest to learn more. When Diana inadvertently came upon a wildlife sanctuary supported by an international live butterfly trade, she was eager to learn more about this first-of-its-kind farm.

Soon, her vacation turned into an extended stay as she and her new partner, Jack, moved into a long-empty jungle house in Belize. Diana becomes acquainted with Clive, a whimsical British millionaire who created an industry of his childhood passion, and Sebastian, the Maya farm manager.

While Diana was chasing blue butterflies, Mayan secrets, and happily ever after in Belize, she couldn’t have expected that she’d also face a hurricane and global pandemic.

The Book Girls Say... This is both a warm and funny memoir, as well as a heartfelt cry to protect the beauty of the natural world.

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of 10/6/23.

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - NORTH AMERICA (Belize)
Decades - Through early 2000s

by Bruce Barcott

Sharon Matola was beloved as “the Zoo Lady” in her adopted land of Belize. This biography chronicles how Matola became one of Central America’s greatest wildlife defenders. The book details her crusade to stop a multinational corporation that sought to build a dam that would have flooded the nesting ground of the last scarlet macaws in Belize.

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - NORTH AMERICA (Nicaragua)
Decades - 2010s (present day timeline)

by Eleni N. Gage

This novel weaves together the stories of three generations of Nicaraguan women. When Maria, a New York City artist, returns home to Nicaragua to attend her beloved grandfather’s funeral, she steps back into the tensions that have always existed in the relationship with her mother, Ninexin, and grandmother, Isabela.

Maria was largely raised by her doting grandmother because her mother spent Maria’s formative years as a famous revolutionary. Ninexin was instrumental in the fight to create the new Nicaragua and has since become a tireless government employee.

When Maria returns home for the funeral, she brings with her a mysterious package from her grandmother’s past – one that brings back Isabala’s memories of attending boarding school in New Orleans during the 1950s.

Each chapter is told in the first person from the alternating point of view of each woman. This beautifully written novel also provides vivid descriptions of the landscape and history of Nicaragua.

The Book Girls Say... Some readers say that the alternating first-person POV starts out a bit confusing because of the various character names and nicknames. But once you get the names straight, the character development will suck you into this family drama. Reviewers particularly love the character of Isabela, whom the author based on her Nicaraguan husband’s own grandmother.

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - NORTH AMERICA (Costa Rica)
Decades - 2003

by Margo Page

Margot and Anthony were leading lives filled with stresses that would sound familiar to many parents – long hours at work, carpooling, overscheduled kids, and concerns about money. One day, Margot impulsively suggested the family move to Costa Rica, and a short seven weeks later, they were jobless on top of a remote mountain.

In this witty memoir, Margot provides insight into her family’s struggle to get back on track in a new life. She shares insights on parenting and privilege, loneliness, and connection. Along the way, she discovers that even when everything changes, some things still remain the same.

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of 10/6/23.

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - NORTH AMERICA (Belize & Guatamala)
Decades - 2000s

by Kristen Hubbard

Looking for something more along the lines of a YA Romance? In Wanderlove, an 18-year-old sets off to tour Central America. Except she made a mistake and signed up to be a part of middle-aged tourists – not what she had in mind for a summer of love and independence.

When she meets a backpacker and his sister, she quickly ditches her tour and joins the siblings as they travel further off the beaten path to locals like Mayan villages and isolated islands.

The Book Girls Say... We just wanted to give a shout-out to the other middle-aged tourists like us, who are pretty fun to be around. 😉

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - NORTH AMERICA (Honduras)
Decades - 2000s

by Ellen Lippman Finn

After retiring as a social worker, 60-year-old Ellen Lippman Finn took a two-week trip to Honduras to learn Spanish by immersing herself in a new culture. That single decision radically changed her life and turned into a 7-year stay in Copan Ruinas.

Her work there started with small acts, like asking friends and family back home in the US to send materials for rural schools. As she received more contributions, she expanded into opening new schools, medical clinics, and more. This memoir recaps her journey and focuses on Honduras’s culture and how important it was for her to understand and appreciate the local customs.

The Book Grils Say... When researching this book, we were impressed to learn that the author stayed in Latin America, moving to Guatemala, even after violence and threats by drug cartels increased. She has now completed her 20th school in the region.

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - NORTH AMERICA (USA)
Decades - 2010s

by Tommy Orange

This present-day novel follows 12 different characters from Native communities as they travel to California for the Big Oakland Powwow. All have their own struggles, and through their stories, you’ll gain tremendous insight into the often difficult life of an urban Native American.

From a 14-year-old traveling to perform a traditional dance for the first time to a newly sober woman trying to reconnect with her family, each story eventually interconnects in unexpected ways.

The Book Girls Say... This is not a light and easy-to-read novel, so be sure you’re in the right frame of mind when you pick it up. This book deals with some challenging and traumatic topics and events, but it also provides amazing insights. Author Tommy Orange is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, and he was born and raised in Oakland, California.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
89% Would Recommend to a Friend

CHALLENGES
*Read Around the USA - IDAHO
Decades - 1990s-2000s

by Tara Westover

In this memoir, Tara Westover shares the story of her upbringing in rural Idaho in the 1990s and early 2000s. Born in 1986 to survivalist parents, she grew up stewing herbs for her midwife healer mother and worked in her father’s junkyard. Her father forbade doctors and hospitals, even when she and her brothers suffered serious injuries.

She was also kept from any formal education. Although she didn’t step foot in a classroom for the first time until the age of 17, Tara worked hard to educate herself in mathematics and grammar. She was ultimately able to gain admission to BYU, where she studied history and learned about major world events, like the Holocaust and the civil rights movement, for the first time. From there, she went on to opportunities at Harvard and Cambridge.

This coming-of-age memoir details how she struggled to lift herself up and dealt with the struggle between family loyalty and the grief that comes with severing those ties in search of something more.

CHALLENGES
*Read Around the USA - MONTANA
Decades - Early 1990s

When Cameron Post suddenly loses her parents to a tragic car accident, alongside her shock and grief, she also feels a sense of relief that they’ll never know she had – just hours before – been kissing a girl.

Orphaned, Cameron is forced to move in with her conservative aunt and old-fashioned grandma in rural Montana. Then, Cameron meets Coley Taylor – a beautiful cowgirl with a perfect boyfriend. The girls form a close friendship that seems to leave the door open for something more to develop in their relationship.

When Cameron’s ultra-religious Aunt Ruth tries to “fix” her niece through conversion therapy, Cameron must come to terms with her true self.

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - ISREAL, PALESTINE, KUWAIT, JORDAN
Decades - 1960s-2010s, including 1990s

by Hala Alyan

This debut novel was written by a Palestinian-American poet and covers three generations of the same Palestinian family. It begins as the family is uprooted after the Six Day War of 1967. The main character, Alia, moves to Kuwait City and builds a new life with her husband and three children until Saddam Hussein invades Kuwait in 1990. Then, the family must again flee, this time being spread apart to Beirut, Paris, and Boston. 

As Alia’s grandchildren are born, each part of the family navigates the burdens and blessings of assimilation in new cities. 

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - Kabul, AFGHANISTAN
Decades - Spans 40 years, including 1990s

by Khaled Hosseini

Author Khalid Hosseini is most known for his best-selling novel, The Kite Runner, which would also be a great pick this month. However, we choose one of his other works, A Thousand Splendid Suns, for the list because it spans the three decades in Afghanistan, from the Soviet invasion to the war-torn neighborhoods of Kabul, and from the Taliban’s reign to post-Taliban rebuilding.

The emotional book follows two generations of brave women, Mariam and Laila, brought together by war. It explores the universal desire to find happiness and raise a family, even when tragic circumstances are happening all around you. It does a beautiful job of humanizing the real people living in a country that has undergone dramatic changes in lifestyle due to the changing government. So grab the tissues and prepare for tears, horror, and a sprinkling of hope.

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - Dubai, SAUDI ARABIA
Decades - 1990

by Sabeeha Rehman

Author Sabeeha Rehman grew up in Pakistan and married her husband, a Pakistani doctor, via an arranged marriage. Together they raised their sons in New York, where Sabeeha attended grad school and received a Masters in Health Administration. After working as a hospital executive in New Jersey, Sabeeha and her oncologist husband, relocated to Saudi Arabia. They originally planned to live in Riyadh, the most conservative city in the country, for just two years- but they ended up staying for six. 

When Sabeeha is offered a position at Riyadh’s most prestigious hospital, she’s first required to get permission from her husband to work. Then she has to quickly familiarize herself with local laws and customs. Women in the city cannot work in public places, yet they do hold positions of authority within corporate culture. Sabeeha also discovers many women-owned-and-operated businesses flourishing outside of Riyadh. 

Sabeeha provides insights into the “don’t ask, don’t tell” boundaries in which Saudi and West

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - IRAN
Decades - 1996 and 1978

by Marjan Kamali

From the author of The Stationery Shop (also set partially in Iran), Together Tea is a novel about family and love. Darya decides her daughter, Mina, needs an extraordinary birthday gift for her 25th birthday – a husband!

However, Mina is exhausted by her mom’s constant matchmaking. After yet another dating fail in New York City, Darya and Mina travel back to their home country of Iran. Once they’re out of their everyday routines and submerged back into Persian culture, the mother-daughter duo begins to understand each other better.

Will that understanding continue when Mina meets a man outside her mom’s radar?

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - Dubai, SAUDI ARABIA
Decades - 1990

by Tania Malik

It's 1990, and 25-year-old Riyai is from India but works in Dubai for Discover Arabia, a desert tour company. While developers have dreams of transforming Dubai’s skyline and reputation into a modern metropolis, it hasn’t happened yet.

Like many of the transient workers who came to Dubai to earn money for families back home, Riya sees Dubai as a desert purgatory that separates her from her family. She’s constantly blamed for her company’s failings, which most recently included stranding the Sheik, his wives, and their children stranded on a tarmac. Can a notorious “fixer” get Riay back into good graces, or will Sadam Hussein’s impending invasion make everything else irrelevant?

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - IRAN
Decades - 1970s-2010s, including 1990s

by Ava Homa

The main character, Leila, is a young Kurdish woman living in Iran. She dreams of telling the untold stories of her people, the 40 million stateless Kurds, via filmmaking. Her younger brother, Chia, pursues activism differently, and his involvement in politics and social justice has been growing. Then, one day, he disappears from Tehran.

Leila fears the worst and makes it her mission to save him. However, her attempts at finding him begin to endanger her own life. Throughout this fictional modern-day story, you’ll find yourself immersed in the everyday life of the Kurds while learning about Kurdish history from the 1970s to the present.

CHALLENGES
*Decades - 1980s
Read Around the USA - TRAVELING ACROSS AMERICA
Book Voyage - TRANSPORTATION (Tour Bus)

by Stephanie Clifford

In this dual-timeline novel, you’ll meet country star Lillian on her farewell tour, travleing around the USA on her tour bus in 1980.

The other half of the book looks back at Lillian’s childhood and rise to fame as readers learn why it was so important for her to end the tour in her hometown of Walla Walla.

Lillian left her farm in Washington State at age 10 and endured the Great Depression and WW2 before being a part of the rise of the Nashville country music scene. It wasn’t an easy road for her as she tried to make a career in a male-dominated world, and she was forced to make many hard choices along the way.

Now as she nears her final tour stop back in Washington State, Lillian must undergo a reckoning with the past that forces her to reconsider her entire life story.

CHALLENGES
*Read Around the USA - TRAVELING ACROSS AMERICA
Decades - 1980s

by Carrot Quinn

Carrot had a very difficult childhood in Alaska, marked by neglect, poverty, and periods of homelessness. Several of the early chapters detail her childhood in the late 1980s.

Striking out on her own as teenager, Carrot found a sense of belonging among a group of straight-edge anarchists. They taught her how to travel the country by freight train. It’s a life of adventure and freedom, but also of hardships like foraging in dumpsters for food. And she finds that no matter how far she rides the rails, she’s still haunted by her traumatic childhood.

The Book Girls Say... This raw memoir, which is told in a non-linear timeline, is recommended for fans of The Glass Castle and Educated.

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - TRANSPORTATION (Space Travel)
Decades - 1980s

by Meredith Bagby

The 1978 NASA class was the most diverse group of astronauts in the space program with the first American women, the first African Americans, the first Asian American, and the first gay person to fly to space. Called the New Guys by the experienced astronauts, this group was at the forefront of a new era of space travel.

The shuttle program first flew in 1981 and continued with 135 missions over the next 30 years. This behind-the-scenes book looks at the space program and the crew that manned the first space shuttles and covers the entire shuttle program, including the 1986 Challenger and 2003 Columbia disasters.

The book was written with the exclusive participation of many of the astronauts who were caught in the crosshairs of scientific exploration, military demands, and commercial aspirations. Through it all, they became friends, rivals, lovers, and ultimately, family.

CHALLENGES
*Read Around the USA - CALIFORNIA
*Decades - 1977

by Ash Davidson

This novel by debut author Ash Davidson transports you back to 1977 in the Northern California logging town of Klamath, just an hour north of Davidson’s hometown of Arcata.

Rich Gunderson comes from a long line of loggers. For generations, his family has made their living off of the Redwood trees, but now his way of life is threatened as the National Park Service is expanding to protect tens of thousands of acres of trees. Additionally, environmentalists are protesting the logging operations on the remaining private lands, raising concerns about water contamination. In an effort to secure his family’s future, Rich secretly spends their savings on a grove of ancient Redwoods that he hopes to harvest.

Rich’s wife, Colleen, is an amateur midwife who hopes for a second child of her own. She has suffered a long string of miscarriages and has begun to see a disturbing number of birth defects and fetal deaths throughout her small community. She begins to suspect that the herbicides used by the logging company that employs her husband might be to blame.

The Book Girls Say... Angela picked this book up immediately after returning from a family vacation to the Redwoods, so she was instantly drawn to the story about the towns she had just visited. But it was the dual perspectives of this story that kept her hooked. We see the story unfold from the point of view of both Rich and Colleen, as well as a few chapters from their eight-year-old son.

In a world where people often seem increasingly unwilling to listen to opposing viewpoints, the storytelling format of this environmental novel compassionately shines a light on all the shades of gray that exist for the families and communities caught in the middle.

CHALLENGES
*Read Around the USA - CALIFORNIA
Decades - 1950s-1970s

by Melanie Benjamin

In an era when women were expected to be housewives and mothers were expected to behave like Donna Reed, Carol Donelly broke the mold. She was a legendary female surfer, competing in a male-dominated sport. Her days were spent surfing beneath sunny Malibu skies. And her nights were spent under the glittering neon lights at Whiskey A-Go-Go. But, very little time was spent at home with her daughters.
Mindy and Ginger bear the weight of their mother’s unconventional lifestyle, enduring both her physical and emotional absence. To escape questions about their mother, they skip school and spend their days in the water. Mindy is a natural on a surfboard, but Ginger feels out of place.
As the sisters grow, their lives diverge. Mindy is swept up in celebrity and spends her days at Playboy Club parties and on USO tours to Vietnam. Ginger, on the other hand, is pulled into the counterculture scene of drugs and cults. The one thing that always connects them is the emotional damage they still carry from their unorthodox childhood.

The Book Girls Say... The author drew her inspiration from a real-life mother and daughter surfing trio, but the lives of these characters are purely fictional. Some early readers note that while the characters are not always likable, they are sympathetic. 

The first two-thirds alternates between Mindy and Ginger’s points of view across the timeline. The final section is from Carol’s point of view, and readers say it will change the way you view things.

CHALLENGES
*Read Around the USA - HAWAII
Decades - 1970s

by TW Neal

If you're a fan of memoirs based on unorthodox childhoods like The Glass Castle or Educated, Freckled is a similar tale set in Hawaii. Author T.W. Neal (Toby) typically pens mysteries, but in 2018 she shared her own personal story about growing up in Kauai in the 1970s. 
Her parents were addicts and hippies, creating an unstable environment. Nights were spent in tents and vans instead of in a stable home. Yet, with resilience and intelligence, she balanced caring for her parents, her siblings, and herself. 

Because the family moved around, this memoir will give you insight into the island's different regions.

CHALLENGES
*Read Around the USA - OREGON
Decades - 1977 & 2017

by Simone St. James

A small town in Oregon was shocked in 1977 when two seemingly random men were murdered with the same gun. The killer left strange notes, leading the town to believe that the killer was a rich, eccentric 23-year-old woman, Beth. After being acquitted of the murders, she became reclusive, tucked away in the isolation of her mansion.

Forty years later, in 2017, receptionist Shea runs a true-crime website at night. When she has a chance encounter with now 63-year-old Beth, she’s thrilled when Beth agrees to an interview. The duo begins meeting regularly at Beth’s mansion, which is not a comforting place. Shea swears items move on their own, and other strange things also happen. Although Beth is highly charming, Shea can’t help but wonder if she’s befriending a murderer.

The Book Girls Say... If you prefer single timelines or dual chronological timelines, skip this one. The storyline alternates between the present and Beth’s life in the 70s, leading up to and including her arrest and trial. However, her past isn’t always revealed to the reader in order.

CHALLENGES
*Read Around the USA - WASHINGTON
Decades - 1974 - 2000s

by Kristin Hannah

From 8th grade, Kate and Tully cycle through the highs and lows of long-term friendships as they try to figure out what they want from the world and what they need from each other.

Tully seems to have both beauty and brains while Kate feels doomed to be uncool forever. However, Tully doesn’t have it all. She longs to fill the void left when her mom abandoned her, and she funnels all her feelings into ambition at work. Kate is equally driven, but her life looks different as she becomes a wife and mother.

In Firefly Lane, Kristin Hannah uses the descriptive talent you know from her historical fiction books to share the story of three decades between friends.

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - CHINA
Read Around the USA - CALIFORNIA

by Lisa See

The Akha people live in a remote mountain village of China, where for generations their lives have revolved around farming tea. Yi-lan is one of the few educated girls in the village, and everything begins to change for her when a stranger arrives at the village gate driving a jeep - the first automobile any of them have ever seen. Little by little, Li-yan begins to reject the customs of her village.

When Li-yan becomes pregnant out of wedlock, local tradition calls for her to give her child over to be killed. Instead, she flees to a nearby city where she leaves her baby at an orphanage. She then remains in the city and puts her experience and education to use by pursuing a career in the tea business outside of the fields.

Li-yan's daughter is adopted by loving American parents and is raised in a life of privilege in California. As she grows, she continues to wonder about her origins, and back in China the mother she never knew longs for her as well. The two remain connected across the continents by their family heritage of tea.

The Book Girls Say... Many readers have assumed that Lisa See would write a sequel to this modern historical fiction, but the author has stated in numerous interviews that no sequel is planned. Nonetheless, reviews consider this among the best fiction set in China, and it proved extremely popular among Book Girls' Guide readers.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
98% Would Recommend to a Friend

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - CHINA
Decades - 1970s - 1990

by Belinda Huijuan Tang

When Tang Yitian’s mother calls him frantically saying that his father has disappeared, he returns to his family’s rural China village for the first time in ten years. The family has been estranged during his decade in America, making it difficult for Yitian to understand what has happened.

The search is complicated by his mother’s evasiveness and China’s impenetrable bureaucracy. His only hope is to reconnect with a childhood friend, Tian Hanwen. The friends dreamt of attending university together, but while Yitian ended up a professor in America, Hanwen was left behind and resigned to live as a midlevel bureaucrat’s wealthy housewife.

Now adults, the duo must figure out who Yitian’s father really was. Their search spans rural provinces and big cities, providing an up-close look at much of 20th-century China.

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - TAIWAN
Decades - 1947-1990

by Shawna Yang Ryan

Green Island blends the story of Taiwan with the story of the Tsai family. The narrator is born in 1947 on the night of the 228 massacre (also called the February 28 massacre), just as the country enters martial law. Her father is soon thrown in prison as Chinese Nationalists try to stop any resistance to their takeover.

A decade later, he returns after suffering brutal and inhuman conditions. His family and community alienate him and worry he is putting his younger daughter at risk as their relationship grows. Later as a mother, she's also forced to decide between what is right and what can save her family.

This heavy book covers six decades of post-war Taiwan, from the end of Japanese rule through Chinese martial law (1947-1990) and eventually into democracy.

The Book Girls Guide... Our readers say that this book assumes some prior knowledge of the history of Taiwan during this era. If you are not already knowledgable about this history, they suggest doing a bit of research before beginning the book in order to get the most out of it.

Additionally, the book shifts in time and perspective, so if you prefer linear stories, this might not be for you.

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - CHINA
Decades - 1970s - Present

by Nury Turkel

One of the great, and often unspoken, tragedies of our lifetime has been the ongoing genocide of the Uyghur people group in China. The author of this memoir, Nury Turkel, was born in 1970 in a “re-education” camp. He was lucky to survive and escape and used the opportunity to become the first Uyghur to receive an American law degree.

This powerful memoir shares details of what has happened to the estimated three million people who have been killed or enslaved in camps like the one the author experienced. While this can be a tough read, we think it’s important to understand the horror of what is still an ongoing humanitarian crisis & genocide in 2023.

CHALLENGES
*Decades - 1970s
Read Around the USA - Los Angeles, CALIFORNIA

by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This novel chronicles the meteoric rise of a fictional, iconic 1970s rock band - The Six - and their heedlessly beautiful lead singer, Daisy Jones.

The story is told through a series of "behind the music" style interviews that will make you feel like you are right there with them in the hard-partying, 70s music scene.

As you hear from each member of the band, the story of these complex characters unfolds, ultimately revealing the mystery behind the band's infamous breakup.

The Book Girls Say... Even if you aren't normally an audiobook fan, this one is a must LISTEN. Each member of the band is read by a different narrator, which fits perfectly with the rockumentary, interview style of the novel.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
96% Would Recommend to a Friend

CHALLENGES
*Decades - 1979
Read Around the USA - Southern CALIFORNIA

by Susan Azim Boyer

Jasmine is tired of her California high school and ready to start her real life studying journalism at NYU. Except, she had a tiny lapse in judgment and called herself the student body president on her NYU application before the election. She was a shoo-in, with her only competition, Gerald, campaigning to reinstate a dress code.

But then the real world infiltrates school politics. The Iran Hostage Crisis becomes the top story every night, and Gerald embraces the anti-Iranian hysteria spreading across the country. As an Iranian-American, Jasmine is caught in the middle. To make matters worse, her brother is becoming more outspoken as she tries to downplay her heritage.

The Book Girls Say… This YA novel explores themes of identity and ancestry without being too heavy. Some readers say that Jasmine is a realistically flawed young character like Devi from Never Have I Ever. Don’t expect her to make all the same choices you would.

CHALLENGES
*Decades - 1970s
Read Around the USA - Northern CALIFORNIA

by Eldonna Edwards

Twelve-year-old Clover Blue isn't sure of his birthday, who is parents are, or what his name used to be. He does know that he's happy living among the Saffron Freedom Community - the commune into which he was adopted. On the commune, everyone is family, but when Clover (urged on by his funny best friend, Harmony) begins to ask questions, his search for identity will bring upheaval to the community.

This novel will introduce you to a unique group of characters who paint a portrait of the decade. They include the commune's guru, a Grateful Dead groupie, a Vietnam deserter, a surfer, and even a midwife, just to name a few.

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of 7/10/23.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

CHALLENGES
*Read Around the USA - MISSISSIPPI
*Decades - 1962

by Kathryn Stockett

Skeeter has returned home from college to her family’s cotton plantation where - despite trying to act like a proper Southern lady - she constantly disappoints her mother.

Her true ambition, however, is to be a writer. The only job she can find is one she is completely unqualified for - writing a housekeeping advice column for the local paper. Having virtually no experience of her own with housekeeping, Skeeter turns to her friend’s maid, the very poised Aibileen, for help.

As she gets to know Aibileen and Aibileen's friend, the very sassy Minny, more intimately, Skeeter is inspired to help tell their stories, and she pitches the idea to write the narratives of 12 Black maids – a perilous project for all of them.

The Book Girls Say… This is one of Angela’s favorite books of all time! It’s full of characters that are easy to love (and others not so much), and by the end, you’ll be so invested in their stories that you won’t want the book to end!

The good news is that, when you reach the final page, you can watch the movie to enjoy these women all over again.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

CHALLENGES
*Read Around the USA - MISSISSIPPI
Decades - 1960s

by John Grisham

While many associate Biloxi with beach resorts and seafood, it has a darker past of mobsters running prostitution, illegal gambling, and bootleg alcohol. In this legal thriller, childhood friends Keith and Hugh grew up in Biloxi in the 1960s. The former Little League stars then drifted apart as teenagers.

Keith’s father was a prosecutor on a mission to “clean up the coast.” Meanwhile, Hugh’s father was high-ranking in the underground criminal world. Both boys followed their father’s footsteps, with Keith becoming a lawyer and Hugh running his father’s nightclubs. Eventually, their divergent paths will circle back together in the courtroom.

The Book Girls Say… This book won a 2023 Audie Award for narration, so if you enjoy audiobooks, it would be a great pick!

CHALLENGES
*Read Around the USA - ARKANSAS
Decades - 1930s-1960s

by David Hill

Did you know that the town of Hot Spring, Arkansas was a mob refuge specializing in all kinds of vice from the 1930s through the 1960s? Brothels, illegal casinos, and horse racing reigned, offset by the beauty of America’s first National Park, healing springs, and glam Art Deco architecture.

The Vapors is a true crime non-fiction history of the town, told through the lives of three unbelievable real people. Owney Madden was a legendary mobster who fled to Hot Springs after a crime spree in New York. Hazel was a young girl when Owney came to town, but eventually, she worked in his club and used his alcohol to drown her sorrows. Owney’s apprentice was Dane Harris, the son of a Cherokee bootlegger.

Dane’s dream was to build The Vapors, a sophisticated and glamorous palace of pleasure that would rival the best of Vegas. The book explores the hidden underbelly of the South, including how a town synonymous with white gangsters supported a burgeoning black middle class.

CHALLENGES
Read Around the USA - MISSISSIPPI and Tennessee
*Decades - 1963

by Susan Crandall

Starla is a feisty little girl, born to teenage parents, and being raised by a strict grandmother whose goal is to ensure that Starla doesn't turn out like her mom. In the summer of 1963, 9-year-old Starla runs away from her grandmother's home in Mississippi bound for Nashville, where her mom is trying to become a famous singer.

Walking alone in the country, Starla happily accepts a ride from a Black woman named Eula who is traveling with a white baby. Eula longs for a child of her own and Starla longs for her mom and dad to be together so she can have the family she dreams of. As they travel together, Starla learns the harsh reality of southern segregation.

This book is described by many as The Secret Life of Bees meets The Help meets To Kill a Mockingbird.

Heads Up: This book does include some domestic violence.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
95% Would Recommend to a Friend

CHALLENGES
Read Around the USA - OKLAHOMA
*Decades - 1960s

by S.E. Hinton

Following two weeks in the life of 14-year-old Ponyboy Curtis as he struggles with right and wrong. His world is made up of just two groups - the "socs, " a violent gang of rich kids who have money and can get away with anything, and the greasers, like Ponyboy, who live on the outside and need to watch their backs. Ponyboy is a proud greaser, until the night that his friend makes a terrible decision and he begins to question everything.

The Book Girls Say... This coming-of-age novel is one of the most popular teenage books from the 60's. It's now regarded as not only an influential piece of literature in the 1960s, but also as one of the novels that laid the groundwork for the YA genre.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

CHALLENGES
Read Around the USA - TEXAS
*Decades - 1960s

by Lily Koppel

This is the fascinating, true story of the wives behind the men of the 1960s space program. NASA viewed the families of their astronauts as their business - selecting only men with seemingly perfect family lives, and giving the wives strict orders to create homes that wouldn't produce any undue stress or "mental chores" for the men.

Rocketed to celebrity (see what we did there?) by their husbands' selection as the original Mercury 7 astronauts, these women were featured on the cover of Life magazine. Under a deal with NASA, each wife was assigned a reporter who was embedded into her daily life - following her everywhere and placing her in a fishbowl even at the most tense of moments as she awaited word of his husband's fate on each mission. While the world was focused on what the women wore and how their houses looked, they were only able to confide in one another. The "astrowives" formed a tight-knit community in Houston.

The Book Girls Say... This non-fiction book is written more like a work of feature journalism, which appeals to some readers more than others. But this is a quick read. Angela found it fascinating and couldn't put this book down! If you enjoyed the style of historical non-fiction books like Hidden Figures, we think you'll appreciate this book, too!

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
98% Would Recommend to a Friend

CHALLENGES
Read Around the USA - TEXAS (and Maine)
*Decades - early 1960s

by Stephen King

This book is NOT what you'd expect from Stephen King. Instead of horror, you'll find a suspenseful historical fiction crossed with science fiction (and even a twist of romance) that addresses the most compelling aspect of time travel - how actions taken in the past affect the same future you started in.

English teacher Jake Epping is recruited by his friend Al, the owner of the local diner, to help with the most unlikely of requests. Al discovers a portal in the diner's storeroom that transports him back in time to the era of Ike and Elvis, and he becomes obsessed with the idea of using the portal to go back in time and stop the assassination of John F. Kennedy. But when he realizes he won't be able to complete the mission, he enlists Jake for the job.

Jake reluctantly agrees to go back to 1958 and live the early years of the 1960s in the small town of Jodie, Texas while devising a plan to stop Lee Harvey Oswald prior to the events of 11/22/63.

The Book Girls Say... This book is a giant at more than 800 pages, but we promise you'll thank us for this recommendation. The audiobook is fantastic and it makes a great summer road trip listen!

We haven't watched the mini-series yet, but we weren't surprised to hear that (as is always the case) - the book is better!

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

CHALLENGES
*Decades - 1967, 1979, and 2015
Book Voyage - VIETNAM

by Robert Dugoni

This coming-of-age story is about three different 18-year-old men growing up in 3 different time periods.

William was 18 in 1967 when he went to Vietnam as a Marine. Vincent is 18 in 1979 when he meets William working on a construction crew and hears William's stories of his war-time experience.

The third young man is Vincent’s son, Beau, who has had an easier life than the first two men. He is 18 in 2015 when Vincent receives William’s old Vietnam journal in the mail as a thank you for listening to his stories years ago. It was written while he was a Marine and facing things that no one, much less a teenager, should have to encounter.

The three stories are woven together in a beautiful way that many are calling a must-read for everyone, despite the grim nature of William’s combat experiences.

The Book Girls Say… Although this book is set in three time periods, the story is ultimately a historical fiction of Vietnam, making it a great pick for a book about the 1960s. Make sure you don't miss the author’s note at the end of the book to learn more about Dugoni’s connection to the story.

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of 6/13/23.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

CHALLENGES
*Decades - 1967
Book Voyage - VIETNAM

by John "Chick" Donohue and J.T. Molloy

In this memoir, Chick Donohue, a Vietnam vet, recounts the craziest of his many adventures. It all began on a night in 1967 when 26-year-old Chick was at a bar in NYC with his buddies. Each of them had lost loved ones in Vietnam, and they were disheartened to see anti-war protesters turning on the troops.

One of the guys came up with a crazy idea - someone should sneak into Vietnam and track down their buddies still serving there to bring them messages of support, and - of course - a beer. It would be the Greatest Beer Run Ever.

It's likely none of them meant for the idea to be taken seriously, but nonetheless, Chick volunteered. A day later he was on a cargo ship headed back to Vietnam during the height of combat with a backpack full of alcohol.

What would follow was his own personal Odyssey - a serviceman turned civilian searching for his childhood friends in Vietnam. Chick's story is filled with lots of hilarious escapades and harrowing close calls - including the Tet Offensive.

This memoir has been described as a "hilarious quest laced with sorrow, but never dull."

The Book Girls Say... This improbable but true story has been turned into an Apple TV+ war film starring Zac Efron, as Chick, Russell Crowe, and Bill Murray. It's was released in September of 2022.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

CHALLENGES
Decades - 1969 & Present Day
*Book Voyage - VIETNAM

by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

This suspenseful saga is set both set during the war and in present-day Việt Nam. Trang and Quỳnh are sisters from a rural village, and like many in the region, their parents are struggling to survive. In 1969, the daughters take the desperate step of becoming “bar girls” in Sài Gòn, drinking, flirting (and more) with American GIs in return for money.

Trang becomes involved with a charming helicopter pilot named Dan. Decades later, we’ll see Dan return to Việt Nam with his wife in an attempt to heal from his PTSD and reckon with secrets from his past.

Also in the present day, we’ll met Phong as he tries to find his parents, a Black American soldier and a Vietnamese woman. He was abandoned at an orphanage as a baby, and grew up being called names because he was a “child of the enemy”. He dreams of finding a way to America in hopes of a better life for his family.

CHALLENGES
Decades - 1900-1977
*Book Voyage - INDIA

by Abraham Verghese

Kerala, on India’s southern coast, is a slender, coastal state with almost 373 miles of Arabian Sea coast and beaches. Being surrounded by water makes this a popular tourist destination. But for the family at the heart of this novel, being surrounded by water has plagued three generations. In every generation, at least one person dies by drowning.

This new literary fiction epic is a tale of love, faith, and medicine in which the family is seeking answers to this strange secret. The family is part of a Christian community that traces itself to the time of the apostles, but times are shifting, and the matriarch of this family, known as Big Ammachi—literally “Big Mother”—will witness unthinkable changes at home and at large over the span of her extraordinary life.

The Book Girls Say… This new release is a hefty book, at over 700 pages. But like Verghese’s wildly popular novel, Cutting for Stone, it’s well worth the investment of your time! It will transport you to Kerala, where you’ll experience all of the sights and sounds, including clothing, dance, music, architecture, customs, food, and so much more.

A tip, though - keep your dictionary handy if you're a little rusty on your Latin or anatomy. The author, Abraham Verghese, is a doctor and a professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine. His medical expertise is apparent throughout the book. But, as was the case with Cutting for Stone, some readers may find the descriptions of surgical procedures a bit too graphic.

CHALLENGES
Decades - 1969
*Book Voyage - MALAYSIA

by Hanna Alkaf

This page-turning YA historical fiction is set during the 1969 race riots between the Chinese and Malays in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Melati is a typical teenager of the time - she loves music, especially The Beatles. She also has a mental illness, resulting in OCD behaviors. However, mental illness was not something discussed or treated in 1969 Malaysia.

On May 13th, 1969, Melati is separated from her mother when fighting breaks out on the street. A 24-hour curfew is enacted, and all communication lines are cut, so returning home seems impossible. When Melati meets an unlikely ally in the form of a Chinese boy named Vincent, she’s forced to overcome her own prejudices as they try to avoid the rampant violence all around them.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

CHALLENGES
*Decades - 1950s
Read Around the USA - PENNSYLVANIA

by Sadeqa Johnson

House of Eve alternates perspectives of our main characters in 1950s Philadelphia and Washington, DC. Ruby’s story is told in first person perspective as she tries to become the first person in her family to attend higher education. However, her plans are threatened when she begins to fall for a Jewish boy.

Eleanor’s story is told from the third person perspective as she arrives in DC with equal parts ambition and secrets. Like Ruby, Eleanor's plans are changed when she falls for a man, William, at Howard University. William is from one of DC’s elite wealthy Black families, and his parents are picky about who is good enough to join them.

While this setup feels like a romance novel, this is a fast-moving historical fiction novel that will take you into a piece of history you may know little about. Don’t miss the author’s note at the end!

CHALLENGES
*Read Around the USA - DELAWARE
Decades - 1950s

by Marisa de los Santos

This family drama alternates between two main characters and timelines. In the present, Clare has a surprising interaction with an elderly woman named Edith, who gives Clare the courage to break off an engagement with a less-than-ideal man. Only three weeks later, Clare learns that Edith has passed away and left her an incredible, unexpected gift - her home.

As Clare explores Blue Sky House, she uncovers two mysterious ledgers that lead her to slowly put together the story of the house and, in turn, of Edith. You’ll also see the story from Edith’s perspective in the 1950s.

The Book Girls Say… This book is part of a series. However, it can be read as a stand-alone, so you won’t be lost not reading the other books first. The first two books are not set in Delaware.

CHALLENGES
*Decades - 1950s
Read Around the USA - NEW YORK

by Fiona Davis

Playwright Hazel Riley and actress Maxine Mead aim to put up a Broadway show, and they plan to use the Chelsea Hotel - a hot spot for creatives and artists - to get the ball rolling. But they soon discover that the greatest obstacle to producing a Broadway show isn't the art, but the politics.

This story spans the 1940s-60s, but it's centered around the era of McCarthyism in the 1950s. As the Red Scare is sweeping the country, those in the entertainment industry are in the cross-hairs, and there is pressure to point fingers.

The Book Girls' Say... Fiona Davis is a master of New York City historical fiction. She writes in a way that paints a picture of the visual scenery and the emotion of her characters. You'll step back in time and experience a disturbing era in our country that is rarely talked about today. Thankfully, that history lesson is told through a page-turning novel.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

CHALLENGES
*Read Around the USA - NEW YORK
Decades - 1950s

by Fionna Davis

Nineteen-year-old Marion’s dreams come true when she’s cast as a member of the Rockettes, Radio City Music Hall’s precision dance troupe. It’s an honor for any dancer to be selected for the role and given the opportunity to perform at the art deco masterpiece of a theater that is Radio City. But Marion soon learns that, behind the scenes, the days are long and the rehearsals grueling.

One night, in 1956, a bomb explodes in the theater. It’s suspected to be the work of the infamous “Big Apple Bomber” who has been planting bombs in crowded places around the city for the past sixteen years. The police still have no leads, leaving citizens living in fear. At Marion’s urging, the police agree to try psychological profiling, a radical new technique at the time.

While the Rockettes are trained to stay in line, Marion realizes that to help catch the bomber, she’ll have to stand out.

The Book Girls Say… Fiona Davis is one of our favorite authors because she has such a knack for turning historic NYC buildings into living, breathing characters in her novels. This book will be published in mid-June.

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - AUSTRALIA
Decades - 1959

by Kate Morton

On Christmas Eve sixty years ago, a delivery man makes a gruesome discovery that forever changes the small town of Tambilla. In the present day, Jess is a journalist in London when she gets a call to return home to Australia to help with her grandmother, Nora. Nora was more like a mother to Jess, after Jess’s mother, Polly, left her with Nora and moved to Brisbane when Jess was only 10.

Nora fell in her attic while searching for something, and now she is mumbling about an event in her past in a way that is difficult to understand. As Jess tries to piece things together, she learns that Nora was agitated and restless even before the fall. She knows something is going on, and is determined to figure it out. As she searches the house for clues, she finds a true crime book about the Turner Family Tragedy of Christmas Eve. But what does this cold case have to do with her family?

The Book Girls Say… This new 2023 mystery has been getting rave reviews, but is on the longer side at 547 pages. Some readers feel like the first 400 pages could have been shorter, but most agree that you won’t be able to put this book down in the last 100 pages.

CHALLENGES
*Decades - 1950s
Read Around the USA - NEW YORK

by Patricia P. Goodin

Did you know that Virgina from the unforgettable line “Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus.” went on to become a teacher and the principal at a school within New York General Hospital? In December of 1952, reporter David Lindsey was sent to follow up with the now-adult “Santa Claus Girl”.

After the interview, he learns of a little girl who needs polio treatment with an iron lung, but none are available. A fundraiser is in motion, but it’s a race against time, feasibility, and even a snowstorm.

The Book Girls Say… This novel is based on true events, and readers say it’s a feel-good story, but also a good look at the polio epidemic. Readers who don’t enjoy it as much find the introduction of several side characters confusing or are opposed to swearing in a book with holiday themes.

CHALLENGES
*Decades - 1950s
Read Around the USA - NEW YORK Suburbs

by Karma Brown

Alice leaves her publicity career to become a writer and follows her husband to the suburbs of New York. Learning to fill her days in a big, empty house, she comes across a vintage cookbook in the basement. Within the book, she discovers hidden notes left by the home's previous owner, Nellie - a quintessential 1950s housewife. Alice cooks her way through Nellie's recipes, and she starts to uncover clues about her life.

Juxtaposing Alice's life against Nellie's, this is a story of how everything has changed, but in some ways, nothing has changed.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
90% Would Recommend to a Friend

CHALLENGES
*Read Around the USA - NEW JERSEY
Decades - 1950s (Bruce's childhood year)

by Bruce Springsteen

After performing at the 2009 Superbowl, Bruce Springsteen was so exhilarated he wanted to document the experience in writing. That moment triggered seven years of work documenting his life. He begins in his childhood in the 1950s as he grew up Catholic in Freehold, NJ. From there, you’ll hear about his reign as a bar-band king in Asbury Park, NJ, and the eventual rise of the E Street Band.

The book is written with the words of a songwriter and the wisdom of a man who has thought deeply about his experiences.

The Book Girls Say… Bruce is also the audiobook's narrator, so consider snagging it on Audible!

CHALLENGES
*Read Around the USA - NEW JERSEY
Decades - 1950s (book spans 1930s-1970s)

by Alan Brennert

The Palisades Amusement Park was a magical place in the 1930s, especially for seven-year-old Toni. She helps out with her parent’s french fry stand along with her brother, Jack. Toni is especially fascinated by the high diver act, even though her mom tells her girls can’t be high divers.

Over the years, the family endures the world’s hard times - from the Great Depression and Pearl Harbor to race riots in the park. Each summer, they came back together at the park until it closed in 1971. The publisher says that “Palisades Park takes us back to a time when life seemed simpler—except, of course, it wasn't.”

The Book Girls Say… This historical fiction read was written by the author of Molaka’i, so if you’ve enjoyed that popular title, this would be a great pick!

CHALLENGES
*Read Around the USA - PENNSYLVANIA
Decades - 1950s (spans five decades after WWII))

by Ann Patchett

Cyril grew up in poverty, but after WW2, an investment changed the course of his future. With his enormous new wealth, he buys a lavish estate named the Dutch House in a Philly suburb. While he buys it with the best intentions as a surprise for his wife, the home is also the beginning of his family’s downfall.

The book's narrator is his son Danny as he and his beloved sister Maeve are exiled from the grand house by their stepmother. For five decades after being thrown back into poverty, Danny and Maeve return to look at the home from beyond the gates, like checking in on a relative. The only thing keeping the siblings moving forward in life is their bond with each other.

The Book Girls Say… Tom Hanks narrates the audiobook, so this is a fabulous listen for anyone who loves a literary family drama!

CHALLENGES
*Decades - 1942 and 2019
Book Voyage - POLAND

by Kelly Rimmer

Inspired by the author's own family history, this novel is a tragic love story. Alina and Tomasz were best friends who planned to marry. But when their village falls to the Nazis, Alina doesn't know if Tomasz is alive or dead.

Decades later, Alice has is struggling to support her son, who was born with an autism spectrum disorder. When her grandmother is hospitalized, she begs Alice to return to Poland to see what became of those she loved. Alice travels to Poland and begins to uncover her grandmother's story.

The Book Girls Say... We both really enjoyed this unique look into WW2. It's not a light read, but it's still a great escape to look at what generations before us endured on a personal level. The split storyline between current times and the war is a nice reprieve from the harder 1940s scenes.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

CHALLENGES
*Read Around the USA - IOWA
Decades - 1943 & 2007

by Loretta Ellsworth

This split-timeline historical romance was inspired by a real-life ballroom. Lorraine spent her youth in the 1940s swept away by big bands in the Surf Ballroom. Now, it’s 2017, and she is returning to the ballroom for the first time in decades after the death of her husband.

As she steps back into the building, she’s transported back to the biggest decision of her youth. Torn between two men, did she make the right decision when choosing between personal conviction (a German from a local POW camp) and social expectations (her perfect high school boyfriend)? As she makes peace with her youth, ghosts from the past make it hard for her to know what is real.

The Book Girls Say… While the star-crossed romance is a major theme, the book is a lot deeper than a simple love story. You’ll get a look into one of the POW camps set up in Iowa during the war, and see how the prisoners interacted with local society. Additionally, there are strong themes of the rights and expectations of young women in the 1940s.

If you enjoy the music of the 1940s, you may love the references to specific singers throughout the novel.

The author of this novel grew up in Mason City, Iowa, and attended college at the University of Northern Iowa. Her parents met at the Surf Ballroom.

CHALLENGES
*Read Around the USA - MISSOURI
Decades - 1947

by Elizabeth Berg

Sixteen-year-old Arthur is thrilled when he becomes friends with Nola, the most alluring girl in school. Unfortunately, Nola is more romantically interested in Arthur’s older brother, Frank. However, Frank has his eye on someone else.

Outside of dreaming of the perfect girl, the boys stay busy avoiding their father, who drinks too much after returning from war. And the drinking always leads to their father fighting with Frank. When a tragedy strikes, Arthur struggles with his grief and turns to nature to help him understand how the world will go on.

Once he’s begun to understand grief, will he be able to get Nola to realize that they should be more than friends?

The Book Girls Say… Readers say that while this book does have sad moments and grief as a theme, it’s also an incredibly sweet story and will make your eyes tear up with joy from the kindness and compassion shown by the characters.

If you’ve read and enjoyed The Story of Arthur Truluv, you’ll want to pick up this prequel, which was just released in 2023. It takes us back to Arthur’s teen years in Mason to show us how he became who he was as an older man.

The Story of Arthur Truluv is on our list of Main Characters in Their 80s in the Lifetime Challenge, and received an average of 4.5 out of 5 stars from our readers in 2022.

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - UKRAINE
Decades - 1944

by Mark T. Sullivan

In 1944, Ukrainians faced invaders on multiple fronts as Hilter and Stalin had both pushed into their country. The Last Green Valley tells the story of one family with a common dilemma in their region. The Martel's had a strong German heritage, but their families had been farming in Ukraine for more than a century.

Like many others, they had a choice. Do they trust that their German blood will protect them and go with the German troops despite not agreeing with the Third Reich agenda? Or stay and risk being sent to Siberian work-camps by Russia?

The Book Girls Say... While this book is historical fiction, it is heavily researched. Don't miss the author's notes at the end, which share more details on which sections of the book are based on the real story of a family he got to know.

The novel is on the longer side at 458 pages, and some reviewers say that it moves slowly in some areas, but also that it will help you understand a whole new facet of WW2.

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of April 18, 2023.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - RUSSIA
Decades - 1940s (spans multiple decades)

by Kristen Loesch

This epic novel follows three generations of Russian women. The story begins with a young girl named Raisa in Moscow living a happy life with her sister, her father, and her mother who collected porcelain dolls and told fairy tales. Then one night, everything changed her mother was all she had left.

A decade later, in 1991, Raisa has taken the English name of Rosie and is studying at Oxford University and carrying for her mother in London. She’s engaged and has a promising future, and wants nothing more than to bury her past. But when her mother dies and leaves her a key, she returns to Russia and begins to uncover a devastating family history that spans the 1917 Revolution, the siege of Leningrad, Stalin’s purges, and beyond.

The Book Girls Say… This historical fiction novel is filled with mystery and Russian fairytales. Readers describe the book as both gorgeous and tragic.

Author Kristen Loesch holds a Master’s degree in Slavonic Studies from the University of Cambridge.

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - HUNGARY
Decades - 1937-1945

by Julie Orringer

In 1937, Andras, a young Hungarian-Jewish architecture student, departs Budapest. He is bound for Paris with a scholarship, one suitcase, a mysterious letter he promised to deliver. Soon he will find himself falling deeply in love with Klara - the letter's recipient. But Klara has doubts, and she isn't very open about her past.

As the Third Reich rises to power, Andres and Klara leave Paris and seek safety back home in Hungary. Eventually, Andras will discover a secret that will alter the course of his life and his family's history.

This book will take you from the grand opera houses of Budapest and Paris to the small Hungarian town of Konyár, and from the Carpathian Mountains to the Hungarian labor camps.

The Book Girls Say... If you're looking for a quick read, keep looking. This one comes in at more than 750 pages. But if you want a historical fiction novel that sheds light on lesser-known aspects of WWII and is filled with romance and beautifully developed characters, grab a cozy blanket and crack this one open.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - POLAND
Decades - 1940s

by Sharon Cameron

This YA historical fiction is based on the true story of Stefania Podgorska. This heroic 16-year-old worked for a Jewish family in their grocery store until German soldiers arrived in town. The family is forced to the ghetto, and Stefania, who is Catholic, is left in the abandoned town and must care for her 6-year-old sister alone.

When one of her employer's sons jumps from a train headed for a WWII death camp, he shows up at Stefania's home. She agrees to hide him and eventually twelve other Jewish members of her town. However, when the enemy knocks on the door to billet in her home, she has to make some serious decisions.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - HUNGARY
Decades - 1940s-1950s

by Roxanne Veletzos

Wealthy aristocrat Eva is engaged to a doctor and spending her last single summer at her family's estate in Sopron. However, she meets a Romani fiddler and artist, Aleandrao, and they quickly fall in love despite the differences in class that make them look incompatible to outsiders.

The outbreak of war separates Eva and Aleandro, but their chance meeting that summer leads to decisions that change their individual futures.

This historical fiction spans well beyond WW2 in Hungary and will also help you learn about the Hungarian uprising of 1956.

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - SOVIET UNION, RUSSIA & UKRAINE
Decades - 1937-1942

by Kate Quinn

This historical fiction novel based on the true story of Lyudmila (Mila) Pavlichenko, a Ukrainian sniper who fought against the Nazis during WWII. The novel follows Mila's journey from a young woman studying history in Kiev to a decorated war hero known as "Lady Death."

In the late 1930s, Mila is a 24-year-old student and library worker living in Kiev. She is intelligent, independent, and fiercely patriotic. When the Nazis invade the Soviet Union in 1941, she joins the Red Army. Mila quickly proves to be a natural sniper.

This novel is told in two timelines - the first being Mila’s time on the battlefield. The second timeline follows Mila’s press tour in Washington DC.

When news of her 300th kill makes her a national hero, she is sent to the United States on a 1942 goodwill tour. In the US, she pleads for the US to send weapons and troops to Europe to help stop the Germans. She also forms an unexpected friendship with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.

Throughout the novel, in addition to Mila’s perspective, we also see short notes from Eleanor Roosevelt, as well as chapters from the point of view of an unnamed marksman who has been tasked with assassinating Franklin Roosevelt and framing Mila for the murder.

The Book Girls Say… This historical fiction novel has a little everything - from the frontlines of war to romance and mystery. Some reviewers say that the beginning and end of this book move quickly, but that the middle drags a bit with a few too many detailed battlefield scenes, although others site those scenes as their favorites.

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - POLAND
Decades - 1940s

by Leon Leyson

When the author was ten years old, his homeland of Poland was invaded, and his family was forced to move to a Krakow ghetto. Daily life required perseverance for survival in unbelievably cruel conditions.

Eventually, his life was saved by the incredibly generous and brave actions of Oskar Shindler. This book is the only memoir from a Schindler's list child. It is said to leave a legacy of hope despite the subject matter.

The Book Girls Say... This middle-grade memoir is a powerful read for readers of all ages.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - RUSSIA
Decades - 1940s, 2000s

by Kristin Hannah

Sisters Meredith and Nina have little in common other than their love for their dear father. They've spent most of their life feeling like they didn't really know their mother, but when their father falls ill, his final wish is for his daughters to get to know their mother better. In their younger years, Anya sometimes told the girls a Russian fairy tale and their father makes her promise that she will tell the story one last time - all the way to the end.

The story alternates between past and present as Meredith and Nina hear the fairy tale and learn the harrowing story of the mother's life five decades earlier in war-torn Leningrad, Russia. They will ultimately learn something so terrible and terrifying that it will shake the foundation of their family and change who they believe they are.

The Book Girls Say... Many WWII historical novels focus on the region of France and Germany, but The Winter Garden illuminates the experiences of those in Russia and left us with a much better understanding of the Eastern Front. But this is much more than just another WWII story. It's a compelling and moving family story as well.
Like all of Kristin Hannah's novels, this book is beautifully written. It is a bit slow to start, and the characters aren't immediately likable, but you'll find yourself pulled in as the lines between fairy tale and reality begin to blur.

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of April 18, 2023.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
96% Would Recommend to a Friend

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - LITHUANIA & RUSSIA
Decades - 1940s

by Ruta Sepetys

Lina is a typical 15-year-old Lithuanian girl who loves painting, drawing, and boys. But one night in 1941, Soviet officers burst into her home, tearing her family away from their comfortable life. She and her mother and brother are forced onto a train with no idea where they are headed.

Under Stalin's orders, they are sent into a work camp under the cruelest and coldest conditions. But, somehow, Lina finds comfort in her drawings. She depicts the scenes she witnesses daily in hopes that they'll provide proof of all they are forced to endure.

The Book Girls Say... This YA novel deals with the very grim realities of a Gulag and will introduce you to a side of WII that you've probably learned little about. Some readers didn't enjoy the audio version of this book as much as the printed version.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
94% Would Recommend to a Friend

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - ROMANIA
Decades - 1940s

by Roxanne Veletzos

In 1941, Romania was newly allied with the German army, and the Jewish population was in grave danger of persecution. One freezing night, a young Jewish girl's parents are forced to leave her behind, and she is found on the steps of an apartment building in Bucharest.

The girl is placed in an orphanage and eventually adopted by a wealthy couple that renames her Natalia. She comes of age in Romania under Soviet occupation, where life behind the Iron Curtain feels bleak and hopeless.

When Natalia is in her early twenties and working at a warehouse packing fruit, she is reunited with Victor, who she had a secret crush on in her younger years. He is now an important official in the Communist regime, and the two are fatefully drawn into a passionate affair despite the obstacles swirling around them and Victor's dark secrets.

When Natalia is suddenly offered a one-time chance at freedom, Victor is determined to help her escape, even if it means losing her. She must make an agonizing decision: remain in Bucharest with her beloved adoptive parents and the man she has come to love, or seize the chance to live life on her own terms.

The Book Girls Say... This historical fiction novel is perfect for fans of Lilac Girls and Sarah's Key.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
95% Would Recommend to a Friend

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - BALTIC SEA & EAST PRUSSIA (now Lithuania, Poland, and Russia)
Decades - 1940s

by Ruta Sepetys

When you think of maritime disasters, the Titanic is probably the first that comes to mind. But the deadliest disaster at sea occurred in 1945 when a Soviet submarine sunk the Wilhelm Gustloff, a German cruise liner, in the Baltic Sea.

As WWII drew to a close and the Red Army advanced on Germany, a massive evacuation effort began to ferry civilians, soldiers, and equipment to safety. The Wilhelm Gustloff, which had a capacity of 1,800, was packed with more than 10,500 passengers. More than 9,000 people lost their lives when the ship sank, including 5,000 infants and children.

This historical fiction YA novel, tells the stories of four passengers - 21-year-old Joana, who is fleeing her native country of Lithuania; Florian, an artist from East Prussia; 15-year-old Emilia from Poland, who is pregnant; and Alfred, a pompous 17-year-old German soldier.

When tragedy strikes, each of them - regardless of country, culture, or status - must fight for their survival.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
98% Would Recommend to a Friend

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - GREECE
Decades - 1940s (spans 1910s - 2007)

by Victoria Hislop

This epic historical fiction novel captures the energy and life of Thessaloniki, Greece.

Dimitri is born to one of the wealthiest families in the city, but after a great fire sweeps through Thessaloniki in 1917, destroying the family's villa, they are forced to relocate to a poorer section of the city - one where Christians, Jews, and Muslims have been living side by side in harmony.

As a young girl, Katerina's family is evacuated from their home in Turkey, and she becomes separated from her mother and sister. While her family ends up in Athens, she finds herself in Thessaloniki. Here, she becomes a seamstress creating beautiful gowns for the wealthy women of Thessaloniki.

The lives of Dimitri and Katerina become intertwined, and their love story endures even as their beloved city is ruined by earthquakes, fires, and wartime and time again. This is a heart-warming love story, but it also provides excellent insight into the troubled history of this region.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
95% Would Recommend to a Friend

CHALLENGES
*Read Around the USA - MISSOURI
Decades - 1940s (spand 1764-2014)

by Walter Johnson

This non-fiction book provides an in-depth look at the history of racial dynamics in the city of St. Louis, spanning from 1764 all the way up through the 2014 uprising in Ferguson. From Indian removal and slavery, through segregation and the Civil Rights Movement, to the ongoing struggles, this book addresses events that even many people born and raised in St. Louis may not know.

While this book uses the author’s hometown of St. Louis as his case study, it also paints a portrait of two-and-half-centuries of race relations in the United States.

The Book Girls Say… This book is on the long side, at 528 pages, and reviewers say it’s not an easy read. But if you’re interested in really diving into the topic, and you're willing to endure the heartbreaking realities, it’s said to be an extraordinarily well-researched and well-written book that does also have hopeful moments.

If you are instead interested in learning about the history of St. Louis through the story of one of its most famous residents, consider reading the recent biography titled Chuck Berry: An American Life. Berry was born and raised in St. Louis, and maintained a home there throughout his life. The stories of his experiences in segregated St. Louis mirror the city’s complex history.

CHALLENGES
*Read Around the USA - NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS
Decades - 1935 (and other decades)
Book Voyage - ISLAND

by Max Allan Collins

One of the leading theories about the disappearance of Amelia Earnhart involves her crashing near the Northern Mariana islands.

In this historical mystery, detective Nathan Heller had been hired as Amelia’s bodyguard in 1935, two years before her infamous trip around the world. At that point, she had already been the subject of death threats, leading Nathan to believe there was more to her disappearance than a simple flying accident.

During WWII, Nathan was hired to help search for her in Japanese waters, but failed. Over twenty years later, in 1970, he travels back to Saipan determined to find the truth and looking for revenge for his earlier attempt.

The Book Girls Say… While this is the 9th book in the Nathan Heller series, it does read as a stand-alone. Don’t miss the appendix at the back of this book that clarifies which points of the book are historically accurate and which are speculation or fictional to enhance the novel. If you're interested in reading a non-fiction book about the theory that Amelia Earhart ended up on Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands after her 1937 disapperance, pick up Amelia Earheart: The Truth at Last by Mike Campbell.

Heads Up: This book was originally published in 1998 and some readers mention that it contains both racist and sexist language.

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of 3/13/23.

CHALLENGES
*Decades - 1930s
Book Voyage - CUBA (partially set on the island)

by Chanel Cleeton

Three women's stories intertwine in the Florida Keys as the powerful hurricane approaches over Labor Day weekend of 1935.

Key West native Helen Berner yearns to escape her abusive husband. Elizabeth Preston has traveled down from New York in search of a veteran of the Great War. Mirta Perez's family suffered great losses in Cuban Revolution of 1933, and now they have arranged her marriage to a man in a dangerous business, followed by a honeymoon in Key West.

The approaching storm is not the only danger that these women face as their paths unexpectedly cross.

The Book Girls Say... Some of our readers have reported not loving the audiobook narrator, so consider listening to a sample before choosing this format.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
89% Would Recommend to a Friend

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - MULTIPLE ISLANDS
Read Around the USA - PUERTO RICO

by Trish Doller

Float Plan takes you to the sunny Caribbean with Anna as she sets off on the boat that she inherited after the loss of her fiancé. While Anna initially begins her adventure alone, she quickly realizes that she’s in over her head. She hires Keane, a professional sailor who is dealing with his own struggles as he faces a future that looks much different than what he had planned.

This book is both an enjoyable beach read and ultimately an uplifting story about grief and second chances. Anna originally intends to follow the exact sailing route that she and her fiancé had planned to take together, sailing first to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and then down through the British Virgin Islands. Along the way, however, she discovers that she’ll have to chart her own course - both aboard the boat and in her life. Likewise, Keane is navigating rough waters both aboard Anna’s boat, and as he struggles to put his life back on the course he had mapped out for himself.

The Book Girls Say... We both love a good beach read, but this book really took Angela by surprise because it has so much more depth than she expected. Both main characters are authentic, flawed, and well-developed.

Throughout the book, the author paints vivid descriptions of the islands visited with attention paid to what makes each island unique, rather than just generalizing the entire region as nothing more than a tourist playground. There's an excellent map on the author's website that shows the sailing route and all of the islands visited.

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - CUBA (Island)
Decades - Late 1930s

by Ruth Behar

As WW2 began, Jewish families in Poland were trying to flee to safer countries outside of Hilter’s reach. In this story, Esther’s father has gone ahead of the family to Cuba, and Esther is the first family member to join him. She’s devasted to be separated from her sister, so documents her new life in Cuba to share her experiences in writing until her sister can join her.

Her writings include both the kindness of the Cuban people and the unfortunate reality that Nazism has reached Cuba.

The Book Girls Say… This historical fiction novel is based on the author’s family history.

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - GHANA
Read Around the USA - ALABAMA (and New York City)
Decades - 1920s (spans multiple decades)

by Yaa Gyasi

This multi-generation epic follows the divergent paths of two half-sisters born in 18th century Ghana and their descendants over 300 years. Effia marries a wealthy Englishman and lives in a castle, but she doesn’t know Esi is imprisoned in the dungeon below. Esi is sold in the slave trade and shipped to America, where she, her children, and her grandchildren are raised in slavery.

The book continues to follow each generation of both Effia and Esi all the way to the present day and includes a range of historical time periods, including the American Civil War and the Jazz Age.

The Book Girls Say… Despite this long history, the book is only 305 pages, so not a traditional epic with extensive storylines for each generation. Instead, each chapter introduces a new character, and the book reads more like a series of short stories. Some readers are disappointed that not every chapter/chapter has a full arc and conclusion.

Author Yaa Gyasi was born in Ghana and raised in Huntsville, Alabama.

We also found a second book that spans both Ghana and Alabama called The Scent of Burnt Flowers. The description sounds fascinating, but the reviews are a bit lower than we hoped (although a few of our readers have reported really liking it).

CHALLENGES
*Decades - 1924
Read Around the USA - Branchville, SOUTH CAROLINA

by Deb Spera

Set in Branchville, South Carolina, in 1924 - shortly after the Boll Weevil Infestation that devastated southern cotton fields - this historical fiction novel tells the story of motherhood and womanhood. The story centers around three women at a crossroad - Gertrude, Retta, and Annie.

Gertrude, a mother of four, must make a difficult decision to save her daughters. Retta is a first-generation freed slave who comes to Gertrude's aid. And Annie, the matriarch of the influential Coles family, offers Gertrude a job.

Despite having seemingly nothing in common, these three women unite to stand up to injustices long plaguing the small town. This book is a timeless story about the power of family, community, and the ferocity of motherhood.

Warning: Be aware that this book includes some potentially triggering topics, including domestic abuse and child sexual abuse. Additionally, this book includes some racially insensitive language reflective of the era in which it's set.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - SUDAN
Read Around the USA - Atlanta, GEORGIA

by Dave Eggers

This epic novel is based on the life of Valentino Achak Deng, one of thousands of Sudanese children — the so-called Lost Boys — who were forced to leave their villages in Sudan. At the age of seven, Valentino was separated from his family and trekked hundreds of miles by foot, pursued by militias, government bombers, and wild animals, crossing the deserts of three countries to find freedom. When Valentino ultimately immigrated to Atlanta, Georgia under the Lost Boys of Sudan program, he found a life full of promise, but also heartache and myriad new challenges.

Dave Eggers is an American author who has had many non-fiction, biographical successes. For this work, Eggers and Valentino spent many years collaborating to tell the story of the Lost Boys of Sudan. Valentino shared everything that he could remember, and from that material Eggers initially set out to write a conventional biography. Ultimately, however, he determined he could best tell the story by blending non-fictional and fictional elements. By classifying the book a novel, Eggers tells the Washington Post, it allowed him to "re-create conversations, streamline complex relationships, add relevant detail and manipulate time and space in helpful ways -- all while maintaining the essential truthfulness of the storytelling."

CHALLENGES
*Decades - 1920
Read Around the USA - TENNESSEE

In 1920, after a seven-decade crusade for the right of women to vote, thirty-five states had ratified the Nineteenth Amendment, twelve have rejected or refused to vote, and one last state - Tennessee is needed. The suffragists face vicious opposition from politicians, clergy, corporations, racists who don't want black women to vote, and even the "Antis" - women who oppose enfranchisement, fearing the nation's moral collapse.

The Book Girls Say... Following a handful of remarkable women who led the charge, this is the gripping non-fiction story of how America's women won their own freedom.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

CHALLENGES
*Read Around the USA - Bound, SOUTH CAROLINA
Decades - 1929 & 1980s

Judith Kratt is an affluent 75-year-old woman living in her family's grand, but aging, mansion in South Carolina. It's the home she's known all of her life, and one she hasn't left since 1929. It's now the 1980s, and Judith and Olva, the old family maid, spend long, slow afternoons rocking on the front porch.

When Judith learns that her sister, Rosemarie, is coming for a visit for the first time in 60 years, she decides it's time to take inventory of the home. This includes everything she inherited from the Kratt family - the cut-glass letter opener, the pie safe, the copper clock, and the murder that no one talks about.

As Judith catalogs her possessions, the story is interwoven with chilling flashbacks from the fateful night in 1929 that changed everything. Through her list-making, she begins to piece together her family's influence on their small cotton town and to acknowledge the devastating effects of their dark family secrets.

The Book Girls Say... This book is a great choice for fans of southern fiction! Judith is an unreliable, and, at times unlikeable, narrator - just the way the author wants it. Some readers find that the story starts a bit slow since you may not connect with the characters immediately. But once it draws you in, you'll be hooked. This is not a mystery novel in the sense that, thanks to clever writing and foreshadowing, you'll likely unravel some of the family secrets before the characters unveil them - but this feels intentional and adds to the reading experience rather than detracting from it.

CHALLENGES
*Read Around the USA - FLORIDA
Decades - 1920s

by Christopher Knowlton

In the 1920s, cities began to rise up from the Florida wetlands, from Coral Gables and Boca Raton to Miami Beach. The cities were developed with artistic vision and featured grand hotels that played host to the glitz and excess of the Roaring Twenties. Gambling was condoned and prohibition was not enforced, attracting tycoons, crooks, and celebrities alike. This rapid development also spawned a new subdivision civilization. The decade saw the largest human migration in human history - far exceeding the settlement of the west - as millions flocked to this new American frontier in the sunshine.

This non-fiction book examines the social, economic, and environmental impacts of this boom. It also shows how the decisions of three real estate moguls, combined with a once-in-a-century hurricane, triggered the stock market crash that led to the Great Depression.

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - KENYA
Decades - 1920s (spans multiple decades)

by Paula McClain

If you haven’t heard of Beryl Markham, then let this historical fiction novel introduce you to the fascinating life of this remarkable woman who became the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean for east to west.

Born in England in 1902, at the age of four Beryl moved to Kenya (which was then referred to as “British East Africa” by the British colonizers). Her mother abandoned her and she was raised by both her alcoholic father and the native Kipsigis tribe. She was a bold child with a love for all things wild (even after being attacked by a lion), and became Kenya’s first and only licensed female horse trainer.

Throughout her adult life, she had a string of disastrous relationships before eventually meeting pilot Denys Finch Hatton who ignited her ambition to fly. She joined the Kenyan liberation movement and flew planes as part of their anti-colonial efforts, as well as working as a bush pilot on safaris.

Eventually, she sets her sights on the goal of becoming the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, non-stop, from east to west (a feat more challenging than the west to east crossing because it requires flying against the wind). This novel focuses primarily on her life in her twenties (throughout the 1920s) and tells her story from the cockpit of her airplane during her record-breaking flight in 1936.

The Book Girls Say… American author Paula McClain is also well known for her novelized memoir, The Paris Wife. Reviewers praise McClain for addressing the issue of colonialism without romanticizing it, as is too often the case in historical fiction novels set in Africa and written by non-native authors.

CHALLENGES
*Decades - 1929 & 2019
Read Around the USA - Birmingham, ALABAMA (and Detroit)

by Cheryl A. Head

In 1929, Robert has moved to Birmingham, Alabama for a new job opportunity as a master carpenter. The city was booming, and his young family enjoyed the busy markets and nightlife. However, his success and snazzy car combined with his light-skinned wife makes him concerned about attention from the Klan, which is also booming in the region.

Ninety years later, Meghan is the youngest reporter for the Detroit Free Press. She decides to use her position to investigate the murder of her great-grandfather. His body was never found, and no one knows what happened to him. Spurred by the Black Lives Matter movement, Meghan travels to Birmingham to uncover the past. However, revealing secrets that span cities and decades may put her own life at risk.

The Book Girls Say… Time’s Undoing is based on true events. While the topics and some events are difficult, the book is also an uplifting story about the community of friends and supporters that rallied together to help with Meghan’s search and to fight together for change.

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage - ETHIOPIA
Decades - 1927-1935

by Elizabeth Wein

From the author of Code Name Verity, this YA historical fiction is told in diary format from the point of view of two teenagers - Emilia and Teo. When a bird strike brings down the plane that their stunt pilot mothers were flying, Teo's mom is killed, but Emilia's mom survives. Em's mom, a white woman, takes Teo in, but she is concerned about the racism he will face in the American south because of the color of his skin.

She decides to raise Em and Teo in Ethiopia, the birthplace of Teo's father, and soon all three of them fall in love with the beautiful and peaceful country. But WWII shatters that peace when, in 1935, Italy invades Ethiopia, and Em and Teo are drawn into the conflict.

The Book Girls Say… The majority of this book is set in Ethiopia in 1935, but portions of the book set in the US take place in the late 1920s.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
95% Would Recommend to a Friend

CHALLENGES
*Read Around the USA - ARIZONA
Decades - first half of 20th century

by Jeannette Walls

Lily Casey was born in Texas in 1901 and learned about ranching from her father. By the age of six she was helping to break horses. And at the age of just 15 she left home and rode over 500 miles alone on her pony to take a job as a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse in Arizona.

Lily married and raised two children on a vast Arizona ranch, but she never lost her adventurous spirit. She learned to repair cars and how to fly a plane. She survived tornadoes, droughts, floods, the Great Depression, and great personal tragedy. She pushed back against any kind of prejudice - whether it be against women, Native Americans, or any one else who didn’t fit the expected mold.

The Book Girls Say… Author Jeannette Walls is most well-known for her memoir, The Glass Castle. Half Broke Horses is a novelistic re-creation of her maternal grandmother’s life. Although she wrote The Glass Castle first, if you haven’t already read it, we recommend reading Half Broke Horses first because it provides so much context for how Jeannette’s mother, Rosemary, came to be the woman she was.

CHALLENGES
*Decades - 1907
Read Around the USA - ARIZONA TERRITORY

by Nancy E Turner

Mary Pearl and her sister pass the time during the scorching hot summer in the Arizona Territory by reading banned Jane Austen novels from their aunt’s bookshelf and dreaming of their own Mr. Darcy. Mary Pearl’s wish seems to come true when Aubrey Hanna begins courting her - he’s old-fashioned, comes from old-money, and promises her a life of high society and a rich estate. But the courtship creates tension among the three generations of women in Mary Pearl’s family.

As fall nears, however, Mary Pearl receives an acceptance letter to a prestigious northern college that causes her to question her marriage plans. She is immersed in a sophisticated new world that transforms her into a feminist a century ahead of her time.

CHALLENGES
*Decades - 1907
Read Around the USA - COLORADO

by Kate Manning

Moonstone, Colorado is dominated by the Padgett family’s marble-mining company. Sylvie’s father works for them, and she knows the workers are discontent with how they are treated. When she leaves her mountain cabin to work for the Padgetts in their manor, she’s in awe of the luxury they live in.

While the Padgetts express lofty philosophical ideals, Sylvie is aware of the contrast between the talk and the real-life labor practices that created the Padgett fortune. Their servants, the Gradys, are formerly enslaved people who are also aware of the hypocrisy. The Gradys are planning to form a new utopian community on the prairie.

Outside the manor, labor leader Mary Harris “Mother” Jones, is stirring up the quarry workers. The newspaper editor is also involved and publishing unflattering accounts of the Padgett Company. Sylvie is stuck in the middle, with conflicting loyalties, until she is forced to choose sides.

The Book Girls Say… This historical fiction is filled with true stories of Colorado in the early 1900s, including tales of the real labor activist “Mother Jones”. The Financial Panic of 1907 is also covered.

CHALLENGES
*Decades - 1918
Read Around the USA - COLORADO

by Sandra Dallas

While the first world war is raging in 1918, the world is also fighting a second battle against the Spanish Flu. In Denver, schools have been turned into hospitals, and horse-drawn wagons must continually collect corpses from the streets. Sisters Helen and Lutie are new Denver residents, moving after the death of their parents in Iowa.

Nurse Helen has found a new beau who is a doctor, and Lutie is in advertising at a chic store. To help make ends meet, they have a tenant in the basement of their tidy home. However, when she passes from the flu, they find themselves unexpected caretakers for her young daughter, Dorothy. Their lives take another turn when Lutie arrives home from work to find Dorothy’s father dead in their kitchen. Worse, Helen is standing over him with an ice pick.

The sisters come up with a plan to leave him in the street and hope he’s mistaken for yet another flu victim.

The Book Girls Say… Reviewers say the author transports you directly to 1918 Denver and the constant challenges endured by women of the time. This historical fiction also has threads of mystery and romance.

CHALLENGES
*Decades - 1911
Book Voyage - FRANCE

by Calia Imrie

Marcella has been married three years and has two young children. Her once charming husband. Michael has revealed his true, cruel nature, and she’s determined to divorce him. While Michael’s waiting for a judge in France to award custody of their children, he receives shocking news.

Margaret is a fun-loving New York socialite who is touring Europe with friends. When she begins to feel restless, she decides to return home aboard a celebrated new steamer ship, the Titanic.

As the ship sets sail for America, the paths of Marcella, Michael, and Margaret become forever intertwined. This historical fiction novel is based on a true story.

CHALLENGES
*Decades - 1917
Book Voyage - FRANCE

by Jennifer Chiaverini

When General John Pershing arrived in France to establish American forces in Europe, he quickly identified the lack of communication with soldiers in the field as a major barrier. Although women were not allowed to enlist at the time, the Army Signal Corps needed to recruit experienced telephone operators.

More than 7600 women responded to the call, like Grace, a Barnard grad, Marie, the French aspiring opera singer, and Valerie, the young telephone operator from LA hoping to do her part. When the women arrived, they could connect a call in ten seconds compared to the full minute it took the men they replaced.

The job was dangerous and included time near the front lines. This historical fiction novel shows the essential role the brave women of the US Army Signal Corps played in WW1.

CHALLENGES
*Decades - 1918
Book Voyage - IRELAND

by Emma Donoghue

In 1918, Ireland was ravaged by both war and disease. Julia is a nurse working in an understaffed hospital caring for pregnant women who have been quarantined after contracting a terrible new flu that would come to be known as the Spanish Flu.

Two newcomers to the hospital ward will change everything over the course of three days. One is Doctor Katleen Lynn, who is rumored to be a Rebel on the run from the police. The other is Bridie, a young volunteer.

CHALLENGES
*Decades - 1918
Book Voyage - BELGIUM and Canada

by Genevieve Graham

Detroit museum curator Cassie loves solving mysteries from the past, especially when the stories involve the Detroit River rumrunners from the Prohibition days. When a home renovation uncovers a cache of Bailey Brothers Best whisky, she hopes it’s the missing piece she needs to understand the truth about the bootleggers.

In 1918, Corporal Jeremiah Baily is wounded as part of his job planting mines under enemy trenches. As he recovers at a Belgium hospital, he’s cared for by nurse Adele, one of the Canadian “Bluebirds”. The connection between Jerry and Adele is strong as they’re from a similar area along the Detroit River. But when Jerry is sent back to the front, he’s not sure he’ll ever see Adele again.

When Jerry and Adele unexpectedly cross paths after the war, they have a chance for a fresh start, but both carry baggage from what they saw overseas. Prohibition is in full swing, and it brings them both opportunity and the threat of destroying everything they’ve worked for.

CHALLENGES
*Decades - 1912
Book Voyage - ENGLAND

by Hazel Gaynor

For years, Mr. Shaw’s Home for Watercress and Flower Girls in London has watched over London’s flower girls, as they are known. These orphaned and disabled children survive on the streets by selling posies of violets and watercress. In 1912, Twenty-year-old Tilly Harper left her native Lake District and moved to London to become an assistant housemother at the home.

Tilly discovers the diary of a young woman named Florrie with dried flowers pressed between the pages, and a heartbreaking tale of her separation from her sister, Rosie. Drawn into their story from the 1870s, Tilly hopes to find out what happened to Rosie.

CHALLENGES
*Decades - 1915 & 1947
Book Voyage - FRANCE

by Kate Quinn

Two women—a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during WWI and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947—are brought together in a mesmerizing story of courage and redemption.

The Book Girls Say... Angela and Melissa both rated this book 4 out of 5 stars. Angela found the story of the WWI Alice Network fascinating and enjoyed the writing style that intertwined the stories of the two women. Unlike many other stories told from two perspectives in two different time periods, Angela liked that the two female protagonists were together in the later time period forming a unique relationship, which added another layer to the story.

CHALLENGES
*Decades - 1912
Book Voyage - ENGLAND and aboard Titanic

by Walter Lord

A Night to Remember is still considered the best book written about the Titanic. It's a riveting account of Titanic's fatal collision - including what was happening with passengers and staff before, during, and after the iceberg.

While this non-fiction book is a true account written based on interviews and news reports, it reads like a historical fiction novel.

The Book Girls Say... Melissa rated this one a solid four stars and recommends it to anyone with even a slight interest in the Titanic. Although it's an older book, it's a page-turner full of interesting tidbits, and at under 200 pages, it's a very quick read.

This book is currently included with Kindle Unlimited as of January 2023.

CHALLENGES
Decades - 1896-1914
*Book Voyage - SWITZERLAND

Mitza Marić was the only female studying physics at a prestigious university in Zurich, Switzerland when she met her classmate and future husband - Albert Einstein.

The Other Einstein is a fictionalized story of their tumultuous relationship and places Mitza as the originator of some works credited to him. While not a biography, the book still highlights accurate depictions of life in Western Europe at the time, including rampant classism and sexism.

The Book Girls Say... This book takes place between 1896, when Marić and Einstein met while studying physics in Zurich, and the time of their divorce in 1914, making it a great crossover pick for those also participating in the Decades Challenge this month (1900s-1919). It's important to keep in mind that this is a fictionalized version of events. Audiobook listeners have noted that the narrator was a bit too monotone, so this one is more enjoyable to read than to listen to.

CHALLENGES
*Decades - 1910
Book Voyage - Yorkshire, ENGLAND

by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Secret Garden is often considered one of the best children's books of the twentieth century, but it appeals to both young and old alike. Mary lives in India with her uncaring parents when they are both killed in a cholera epidemic. She is sent to live with an uncle at his house in England, where she meets and helps her uncle's sickly son, Colin, recover his health.

CHALLENGES
*Decades - 1906
Read Around the USA - ARIZONA and San Francisco

by Susan Meissner

In the early 1900s, Irish immigrant Sophie was desperate to get out of a New York tenement. She answered a mail-order bride ad and agreed to marry a man named Martin Hocking in San Francisco. Martin is an aloof but handsome widower with a silent five-year-old daughter.

One evening, a young pregnant woman arrives on their doorstep. Sophie also learns of another woman, hundreds of miles away in Arizona, grieving the loss of everything she once loved. The fates of these three women become intertwined on the eve of the devastating San Francisco earthquake.

The Book Girls Say… One of three women in this book is living in Arizona, but having not yet had a chance to read the book ourselves, we’re not sure how much of the story is set there, or whether that setting is well described.

CHALLENGES
*Read Around the USA - RHODE ISLAND
Decades - 1899

by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White

Spanning the Gilded Age to the present day in three different timelines, this novel is set among the summer mansions of Newport, Rhode Island.

In the present day, you’ll meet Andie, the producer of a reality show called Mansion Makeover. She’s in Newport to renovate the once fabulous, but now slowly crumbling Sprague Hall. However, she has more than construction problems. The mansion comes with a reclusive heiress who still lives in the house, but insists that no one speaks to her and that no one touches the boathouse.

In 1958, you’ll meet Lucia, aka Lucky, Sprague, who fled Mussolini’s Italy with her grandmother. They return to her Nana’s Newport house, which she hasn’t seen since 1899. One night in the boathouse, she uncovers a shocking truth that changes everything she thought she knew.

In 1899, mining heiress Maybelle Sprague was taking singing lessons from Ellen, who had been hired to help polish Maybelle for her entrance into society. Maybelle's stepbrother has just purchased a home among Newport’s elite and hopes to marry Maybelle off to an Italian prince. However, Ellen has a checkered past that the family doesn’t know about.

CHALLENGES:
*Decades: 1889
Read Around the USA: Boston, Massachusetts

by Connie Hertzberg Mayo

Life in late nineteenth-century Boston is tough, and Aiden and Charles struggle each day to earn enough money to feed themselves (and in Aiden's case, also his mother and sister). The two adolescent boys survive the wicked Boston streets by forming an alliance. Together, they rob drunken sailors in the brothel district, but things go wrong one night. They accidentally kill their target.

To avoid arrest, the boys flee the city and con their way into the Boston Farm School. In 1889, this school only accepted boys with squeaky-clean pasts (certainly not those with criminal records), which made it the perfect hiding place for Aiden and Charles. But soon, they struggle to keep their stories straight. The pressure damages their friendship and puts their futures at risk.

CHALLENGES
*Decades - 1880s
Read Around the USA - NYC / RHODE ISLAND

by Edith Wharton

At the end of the 19th century, Newland Archer is preparing to marry the beautiful and conventional May Welland. But when Countess Ellen Olenska returns to New York, fresh out of a disastrous marriage, Archer falls madly in love with her. He is torn between expectations and passion as he struggles to make a decision. The consequences of his choice could either define his life, or destroy it.

This book won the 1921 Pulitzer Prize for its vivid portrait of the Golden Age of Old New York. The wealthy families also summer in Newport, Rhode Island, giving us a glimpse of Gilded Age life outside of the city.

The Book Girls Say… One of our readers recently noted that this book, like many classics, is slow going at times, but that the end wraps the story up nicely in a way that makes everything clear.

This edition is available with Kindle Unlimited (including audio) as of 11/21/22.

CHALLENGES
*Read Around the USA: CUSHING, MAINE
Decades: 1893-1940s

by Christina Baker Kline

This atmospheric novel takes place in a small coastal town in Maine, and is inspired by Andrew Wyeth’s iconic painting, Christina’s World.

Christina Olson was born in 1893 at the austere home on a barren hill in Cushing, Maine that her family had inhabited for generations. After nearly dying as a child and being incapacitated by ongoing illness, Christina could never venture beyond her small community. an austere house on a barren hill in Cushing, Maine.

For twenty years, the farm played host to painter Andrew Wyeth during the summers. Many of his paintings feature the family’s farm, but Christina herself would inspire his most iconic painting.

While Wyeth makes some appearances in the novel, this historical fiction focuses on Christina as it vividly imagines her life on the farm through the changing Maine seasons.

The Book Girls Say… Our readers have loved several of the author’s other novels, including Orphan Train and The Exiles, so we’re excited to add this to our TBRs.

Crossover Note: Christina was born in 1893, but her childhood is only discussed for the first 30 pages or so of the book, so this isn't a complete crossover with the Decades Challenge. But since a small portion of the book does overlap the 1890s, we wanted to note it for your consideration.

CHALLENGES
*Decades: 1885
Book Voyage: Alaska

by Eowyn Ivey

Newly married Colonel Allen Forrester has received the commission of a lifetime. He is being sent to lead a small group of men to navigate Arctic Alaska’s Wolverine River. Finding a way to pass the river is the key to opening Alaska to the outside world, but previous attempts have been fatal.

Sophie is pregnant and not excited about being relegated to a year in the military barracks away from her husband while he attempts the impossible. She’s worried about her pregnancy and what will happen while apart from Allen.

The Book Girls Say… Melissa loved this author’s descriptions of Alaska in The Snow Child, so she can't wait to pick up this 2016 Goodreads Nominee for Best Historical Fiction. Like The Snow Child, Eowyn Ivey weaves a thread of magical realism throughout this epistolary novel.

CHALLENGES
*Decades: 1897
Book Voyage: Yukon Territory

by Genevieve Graham

The Peterson family, including Lisa, have a store in Vancouver, but an opportunity to make a fortune if they move to Dawson City, the only established town in the Yukon, which is located just 150 miles south of the Arctic Circle. Constable Ben Turner, a new recruit for the North-West Mounted Police, is also headed to Dawson City, but instead of looking for riches, he is looking to bring integrity to a town overrun with guns, liquor, prostitutes, and thieves.

The journey over icy mountains and whitewater rapids is more treacherous than Liza or Ben imagined. When a tragedy strikes near the mountain's peak, Lisa must continue without her family. Ben is wracked with guilt over the accident and looking for an opportunity to make things right.

This historical fiction is a mix of romance and adventure as two brave people try to survive extreme terrain and let go of their past.

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage: Alaska
Decades: 1899 & present-day

by Mark Adams

In 1899, railroad magnate Edward H. Harriman organized an epic trip. He converted a steamship into a luxury “floating university” and invited some of the brightest scientists and writers to join him on a journey through Alaska’s beauty.

Author Mark Adams retraced this journey more than 100 years later. He traveled three thousand miles, following the itinerary north through Wrangell, Juneau, and Glacier Bay, then continuing west into the colder and stranger regions of the Aleutians and the Arctic Circle.

Along the way, several unusual characters are encountered, and Adams examines how lessons learned in 1899 could apply today. While this non-fiction travelogue is often humorous, it’s also a realistic look at how Alaska’s resources are being depleted and endangered.

CHALLENGES
*Book Voyage: Antarctica
Decades: 1897

by Julian Sancton

In 1897, a polar expedition went terribly wrong. The crew of the Belgica was ready for adventure when they set sail on a three-year expedition to uncharted Antarctica and the magnetic South Pole. However, they hadn’t even cleared South America yet when everything seemed to be going wrong. But they pushed forward into freezing water, chasing glory for Belgium.

That decision led to the Belgica and her crew becoming stuck in the ice for an entire sunless Arctic winter and being driven to the brink of madness. The author tells this compelling non-fiction tale with extra detail thanks to exclusive access to the ship's logbook.

The Book Girls Say… In 2021, this book was a Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for History & Biography. One of our most trusted readers selected it last year for Antarctica month and rated it 10/10.